Cherry Blossoms
by elementaryprincess
Summary: Hana x Corrin (M). Follows the story of a samurai and a prince.
1. Chapter 1

_The carriage slowly bumped to a stop, waking up the young girl riding in it. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced out the window, shielding herself from the afternoon sun's glare._

 _All around her, she could see the pale pink of cherry blossoms in full bloom, bathed in the sun's yellow glow. They covered every inch of her vision, drowning her in a soothing sea of beauty. A light breeze ran through them, making the blossoms seem as if they were swaying and dancing in rhythm with each other. The girl felt as if she was in a trance watching the movements of the flowers._

" _Ah, Hana, you're awake. Amazing, is it not? This was your mother's favorite place to visit." An arm gently wrapped itself around her and interrupted her from her reverie. Hana turned to meet his gaze and tore her attention away from the flowers to bury her face in his chest. The man chuckled to himself, pulling her in and kissing her hair lightly. After a brief moment, she freed herself from him and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her._

" _Daddy, it's so beautiful! Can we go pick some to bring home?"_

" _Of course, dear."_

 _The two scampered and frolicked through the pink forest, enjoying one of their few opportunities to be with each other. Eventually, Hana's father took a seat to just watch Hana play. He watched as she bounced, rolled, jumped, and ran, a boundless ball of energy, and sighed inwardly. Hana's mother had passed from illness when Hana had been just a baby; he could not bring himself to remarry, and as such took it upon himself to properly raise the little girl. But he could not help feeling some guilt from not always being able to be at his little girl's side. As personal bodyguard of the king, not only was there inherent risk in his job, but he also rarely had time to spend with his daughter. Sure, she was well looked after in the royal castle, but still. He'd even briefly considered quitting in order to spend time with her, but the samurai code would never let him do so, and the benefits from working within the castle were fantastic. And so he learned to treasure these moments, moments when he could be a doting father and nothing more, for he never knew when, or even if, the next moment would come._

 _He smiled as Hana ran back on top of a small, grassy knoll and prepared to roll down it for the umpteenth time. Halfway up, though, the girl tripped and crashed down the hill, hitting a tree on the way down._

" _Hana!" The samurai leapt to his feet and sprinted to her side. "Are you alright?" The girl shook her head and pointed to her knee, which was scraped open and bleeding. As the shock wore off and the pain settled in, she started crying, and her father wrapped her in his arms, gently rocking her._

" _Shh, dear, you're going to be alright." He washed the wound with the water from his canteen, and cut off a sleeve of his shirt with his sword to wrap her knee with. "See? All better."_

" _Thanks, Daddy. It doesn't hurt as much anymore." The girl, still in his arms, relaxed and snuggled against his body and closed her eyes, and was soon fast asleep._

 _The scene shifted, and they were back in Hoshido._

" _Do you have to go?" The girl, now a couple years older, clung to his foot, not willing to let go._

" _It's just a peace conference, my child. I'm simply accompanying King Sumeragi as a precaution."_

" _So nothing will happen?"_

" _Nothing. I promise, I'll be back before you know it."_

" _Promise that you'll be okay, too?"_

" _I promise. I love you, Hana."_

" _I love you too, Daddy."_

 _He turned to leave, but was stopped._

" _Wait! I have something for you." Hana pulled a small pin she'd made resembling the cherry blossoms in the forest they visited. With a wide smile, her father pinned it onto his katana's scabbard and kissed Hana on the forehead before turning and disappearing into the horizon._

* * *

Hana's eyes flitted open, forced wide by the first cracks of sunlight. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes sat up in her bed, drawing the covers tightly around her and snuggling into them. Her covers were a pale pink, with cherry blossoms sewn into the design. The walls and colors of the room matched the pale pink of her covers, and Hana smiled to herself as she scanned the room.

Others might describe her room as girly and unbefitting of a samurai employed as a royal retainer, but then, others didn't know about those special afternoons she'd spent with her father. Seeing the pink, the colors, made her feel as if she was back in that forest, alone with her father again, a world where she could just be Daddy's little girl.

She sighed and lay back into her pillow, closing her eyes again.

 _Her father had not been able to keep his promise; a week later, news came from Cheve: King Sumeragi and an undisclosed samurai had been ambushed and slain in an alley, apparently by King Garon. Their bodies were returned to Hoshido, stuck full of arrows and each with a gigantic slash across their chest that seemed to have been made by a giant axe._

 _She knew who the "undisclosed samurai" was, of course. Her father always kept his identity hidden from the public, he said, to protect her; of course, now that he was dead, there was no more reason to do so. When she saw his body, laid out on a cold stone block, she could only scream at the unfairness of it all, leaning her head gently against his armored chest in one of the few spaces not pierced by arrows. How long she remained sobbing, she never knew, but she was eventually ushered away from the body, tears still streaming down her cheeks._

 _The next few weeks were a blur; there was the funeral, a grand affair for the King and his personal bodyguard, but Hana could not remember any of it. After the funeral, she stayed in the orphanage for a week, until her father's will came out leaving everything to her. It was a substantial amount, for her father had given his life in the service of his king, but she could not use it until she came of age. Even if she could, she wanted to leave it alone. In a way, it was all she had left of her father, and she wanted to hold onto everything she could._

 _The will also directed her to an address on the outskirts of town._

 _The address turned out to be where samurai were trained, and there, Hana seemed to be thrown out of her trance. Her father wished for her to be trained as a samurai, and the dojo took her in as a favor to him. She learned the samurai code, how to wield and use a katana, and she trained vigorously, every day. She wanted to become a samurai her father would be proud of, and every morning, she was the first one awake, smacking away at the dummies or maneuvering through obstacle courses. Her skills were soon on par, or perhaps even better than, the very best samurai, according to her master, a wizened old man who had also trained her father._

 _Eventually, she was promoted to serve in the royal castle. On the day of her promotion, she packed her meager belongings from her samurai home and set out to leave. Before she did, she stopped to thank the samurai master, who had a going-away gift for her._

 _It was a katana with a cherry blossom pin attached to its scabbard. She knew that the old man had kept it there so she would know the importance of this particular katana._

A bird cawed at her window, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh, shut up." She slowly swung her legs off the bed and tossed off the covers. Making her way to her wardrobe, she removed her nightclothes and changed into her training outfit, a simple pink tunic and shorts.

Exiting the room, she meandered to the rear of the Hoshido fortress, where her training dummies were set up.

 _Slash. Stab. Parry. Dodge. Slash again._

She ran through her daily exercises, and the dawn had bled into morning well before she was done. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she made her way back to her room and into the washroom. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm, splashing her face from the sink and then disrobing. She glanced at the mirror above the sink for a second, staring into her own eyes.

 _Father...would you be proud of me?_

She stepped into the shower, where the water washed away the sweat and grime, but not her thoughts.

Every day, she strove to protect Sakura the way that her father had protected King Sumeragi. Sakura was about the same age as her, perhaps a year or two younger, yet she was the opposite of Hana. Where Hana was headstrong and confident (sometimes overly so) in her abilities, Sakura was timid and unsure of herself, despite her renowned skills in healing. After being promoted to serve in the royal castle, Hana found herself training more vigorously than any of the other soldiers; she took the training so seriously that she often snuck out for extra training. One of the royals found her out late many times, and took to healing the overworked girl. The two found they enjoyed each other's presence immensely, and soon began going out on small exploration trips to the surrounding areas of Hoshido together, Hana protecting her and the girl healing Hana if she was hurt. Through these trips, they forged a strong friendship. Hana did not know until being selected as a retainer that the girl was a member of the royal family. When Sakura chose Hana to be one of her retainers, she took it upon herself to never give her reason to doubt her fealty and dedication to service.

She was motivated by her love for her master, of course, but also by her desire to live up to her father's standard.

She knew her father would be proud of her; he loved her too much to not be proud of her accomplishments. Not only that, but she was following in his footsteps, serving as a retainer to a member of the royal family. But she remembered Hinata the other day, of how he discounted her just because she was a girl.

"Oh, it must not be a common problem for guys," she mimicked rudely out loud. "Hmph. Just as well, I kicked his butt when we sparred after. _Practicality over appearance. Just because he doesn't have to worry about hair getting in his face? I beat him even with the hair in my face._ She grimaced, and what Sakura told her at the time of her appointment as retainer popped into her mind.

 _They doubted my selection of you, Hana, when I told them I was sure I wanted you as my retainer. They said that you wouldn't be as effective, because you were too young and a girl, but I was so dead set on having you that they eventually relented._

Hana sighed and decided to train extra that day. She'd resolved to dedicate herself to training, to becoming the samurai that her father was, and she wasn't going to let other people's doubts in her abilities stop her. Pulling on her pink uniform and purple sash and firmly tucking her katana into her belt, she set out to meet up with Sakura to begin her daily duties.

* * *

 **I'm back! After playing through FE Fates, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to write fanfic for it, as I felt the characters were massively underdeveloped and there were too many introduced too quickly, so only the royals got proper character development.**

 **ANYWAYS, this is pretty much a prologue to the story to come, which, hopefully, you guys will stay for as it progresses. This is to establish Hana's background as it pertains to my story; I wanted to paint a more vivid picture and a more interseting backstory for her, and as a result, there may be quite a few instances where she is OOC, and that is my intention. After all, what's the point of writing this if I can't make her into my own character? As Hana is a Hoshido character, I'll be pursuing the Birthright path of the story, perhaps ending with some of the Revelations path. The character deaths in Birthright and Conquest made the storylines seem much more realistic, in that when the Avatar makes such a huge decision, it doesn't make sense that there are no consequences. However, I do think that I'll have them learning the actual truth (won't spoil it here just in case) and pursuing that as well.**

 **So, obviously, this story's also about Hana and the Avatar. So why Hana? Why would I pick a tomboy who's crazy about training? First of all, I thought she was really cute (sue me). The first time I played with the male avatar I matched them up, and to say I was disappointed by their support dialogue is a MASSIVE understatement. It was, put kindly, crap. I thought there was so much potential, but I won't say how because it might spoil how I work them together :) And so that's why her character may be slightly OOC, so I hope I'm not offending anyone by doing that.**

 **As always, enjoy, and please R &R! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the super long delay, life has been busy!**

* * *

A grim scene awaited inside. Cots were strewn across the floor in a jumbled mess, each with an injured soldier or civilian resting on them; there was barely enough space for the few nurses to rove around and administer salves or healing through their rods.

Hana winced as she firmly tied a cloth around a wounded soldier's leg, trying to staunch the blood flow. His face twisted into a grimace as she tightened the knot over the gaping, bloody hole.  
"I know it hurts, sir, but I've got to stop the bleeding," she said gently while finishing the knot. "There, all better now. There might be an open cot somewhere, but I can't guarantee it. Make sure to keep that tied up!"

"Thank you, young lady," the man said as he limped towards the resting area. Hana nodded and smiled politely before turning to attend to the next soldier.

She'd been following this routine for most of the morning, helping Sakura and the few other healers tend to the wounded. After meeting up with Sakura and Subaki, Sakura's other retainer, they made their way to Fort Jinya early in the morning. The fort itself, usually a gate at the border of Hoshido, had been converted into a hospital. With the loss of Queen Mikoto came the loss of the barrier keeping Nohrians out, leading to a spike in casualties. Hana elected to help with treating the wounded, while Subaki volunteered to keep watch on his pegasus.

A quick knock on the door turned her attention, and one of the nurses hastily opened the door to let in a small group, most of whom Hana was familiar with. There was Rinkah, the daughter of the Flame Tribe chieftain, with all her hulking muscle; Kaze, the ninja whom Hana (and pretty much every other girl) had had a crush on at some point; and Azura, the beautiful songstress and adopted princess of Hoshido. The other two were dressed in Nohrian garb, a male in the armor of a royal and a girl who followed him closely in a maid outfit. Hana was quite certain of who the man was; whispers of the lost Hoshido prince returning home had flown through town. There was also the rumor that he had turned traitor, bringing about the death of Queen Mikoto. However, Sakura seemed to trust him, and that was good enough for Hana. She could always keep an eye on him, anyways.

 _No one's getting near Sakura._

"Big brother! I'm so glad you're here," Sakura said.

"Thanks, Sakura. Is there anything we can do to help? Felicia here is trained in the healing arts," he said, pointing to the maid, who bowed and promptly knocked over a sheathed sword, which fell and smacked a patient in the head.

"Oh, well, t-thank goodness you're all here! A-as you can see, we're s-severely understaffed here, and any help is sorely needed. Oh! I, um, almost forgot. Big brother, this is Hana, one of my retainers. Hana, this is my long-lost brother, Corrin."

"Nice to meet you, Hana," Corrin said, hand outstretched.

"Likewise," she said as she shook the proffered hand. "While I'd love to keep chatting, there are a lot of patients waiting to be tended to, so…" Corrin nodded in agreement, and soon Sakura had them each working stations, a couple applying salves, some tying bandages, and organizing cots and lying down space for the wounded. Felicia and Sakura worked as a triage team, sorting and treating those who needed immediate attention first. Hana found herself working with Corrin and continuing to bandage the wounded.

"Aghhh," a man moaned as Corrin tied a knot around his arm.

"Sorry! Was that too tight," he said, quickly loosening the knot. Hana stopped him and re-did the knot.

"Can't do that, Lord Corrin. I know it hurts for them, but we need to tie that knot pretty tight for now to stop the bleeding there. They can loosen it later, but not now."

"Ah, alright. Thanks. How do you know all that? Sakura mentioned you were a samurai, not a healer."

"Honestly, I didn't; I've just been working here all morning, so it was kind of like accelerated training. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon, too!" They continued to work in silence, only speaking when Hana was correcting him or when they had to ask Sakura what to do.

Late in the afternoon, the door swung open and a soldier collapsed in a heap at the doorway.

"Subaki!" Sakura hurriedly rushed over to her other retainer, who had an ugly slash wound at his flank. "Let me heal you first," she said, waving her staff over the spot. She grabbed a clean towel and pushed it against the gaping hole, and Subaki gingerly nodded thanks as he kept the pressure on his wound.

"Nohrians…," he managed to gasp. "Surrounded…"

"But why? This isn't even a military base," Corrin said. "It's a facility for the wounded; surely they don't mean to attack us here?"

Hana shook her head.

"I thought you grew up in Nohr, Lord Corrin. This kind of stuff is typical of them." She finished tying off her patient's bandage before standing up and making her way towards the door. "We're the only defense here; we have to fight them off."

Azura nodded, and the rest of the group followed suit.

"We must defend our wounded," the songstress said. "Let's get moving, and meet them head on." They all exited the door, and Hana stopped for a moment to check on Subaki.

"Subaki, you all right?"

"Ngh...yeah, but...such utter defeat…" Hana fought the urge to roll her eyes as she patted him reassuringly.

"Nobody's perfect, Subaki; don't worry, I'll get them for you."

* * *

The battle had started oddly enough; the Nohrian general claimed to know Corrin, and not only that, claimed that they were best friends as children.

Of which Corrin, of course, had no memory.

 _Odd, how can you have no recollection of your best friend?_ Hana had wondered, before the battle itself occupied their thoughts. The force didn't seem to be big; it seemed like the Nohrians weren't expecting any defense, so they had sent a strike force helmed by a new commander. Hana closed her eyes and lightly tapped the pink pin on her scabbard as she drew her katana, like she did before every battle.

 _Father, I hope you're watching._

The battle was quick. The Nohrians were easily incapacitated and disarmed, and their commander waited for too long to join the fray and, outnumbered, was quickly dispatched. Hana stood over him with her katana pointed at his throat.

"He's all yours, Lord Corrin. I'm going to go check on Lady Sakura." Hana sheathed her blade and shot the Nohrian commander a contemptuous look before backing off. She headed back into the fort, expecting to find Sakura back inside treating the wounded, but she found her leaning against a wall, shaking.

"Lady Sakura? Is everything alright?" Hana rushed forward. "Are you hurt?"

"N-no, I'm fine. But Yukimura just informed me that Ryoma and Takumi have gone missing…"

"What? But how?"

"They went to Cheve to s-scout out the resistance that's forming there, b-but their retainers just came back and said they were m-missing!"

"Cheve…" Hana's eyes adopted a faraway look.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to look for them." Corrin's voice appeared out of nowhere, making the girls jump.

"Big brother! Did Yukimura tell you, too?"

"No, I ran into Kagero and Saizo. Right ray of sunshine, that Saizo guy...anyways, they mentioned it. We'll probably head out tomorrow. Sakura, you should probably stay here, since there's going to be a lot of-"

"No!" Sakura yelled, grasping her staff. "Sorry, but I'm going."

"But-"

"Lord Corrin, if I may?" Hana bowed slightly before speaking. "Sakura lost her father long ago; she thought she lost you, until you came back, she lost her mother, and now two of her brothers are missing. Of course she wants to go, they're her family."

Corrin let out a deep sigh.

"And that's why I'm worried about her safety...but alright. Make sure you stay safe though, Sakura."

"Don't worry, Lord Corrin, I'll keep an eye on her. No one will get anywhere near her."

"Alright. I'll see you here tomorrow morning, and we'll make way for Cheve."

* * *

"Hana, thank you f-for what you did back there," Sakura said. The two were heading back to the castle after returning to tend to a few more wounded at Fort Jinya.

"Oh, no problem. I know you get a bit tongue tied around most people, and I know a thing or two about losing family, so...I think I can understand how you felt." Hana looked away as her eyes stung. "In fact, I know how you feel losing Queen Mikoto…" She blinked back the tears and stopped walking for a moment.

"O-oh...Hana, I'm so sorry, I...Cheve, it must bring back memories. Are you okay?" Sakura put an arm around her retainer, gently patting her shoulder.

"I'm fine, I just...still miss him, after all these years. I just want…" The dam seemed to overflow, and the tears rushed out. Hana cursed inwardly; she hadn't lost her composure like this in years. "S-sorry, Lady Sakura. I just...haven't talked about this in a while, and this is the first time I'll have been to Cheve." She sniffled and regained her composure. "I'll be fine, and I have to go, after all. Someone has to protect you, right?"

"Hana, you don't have to act strong in front of me, you know. If you don't want to go, I'll understand."

"I'm going! Don't worry about me. I lost my father at Cheve, and by the gods I am not losing anyone else there. So that's that." Hana folded her arms as the last of the tears dried up, evaporated by her resolve. Sakura only smiled.

"There's the Hana I know. I'll feel a lot safer knowing you're there. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow, Lady Sakura." Hana bowed, and Sakura turned towards the royal quarters. Hana waited until she was out of sight before breaking for the training grounds.

* * *

 _Thwunk_. Corrin woke up with a start.

 _What in the world? Is someone chopping wood right now?_

 _Thwunk._ Corrin glanced out his window and saw a solitary figure whacking away at a training dummy with a sword. Groaning, he got out of bed to accost the noisemaker. As he made his way down the stairs, the cool night breeze blew in through the window, making him shiver and reminding him winter was coming.

 _So we better find Ryoma and Takumi soon, before the snow sets in._

"Hey!" The figure stopped and turned to face him, but his groggy eyes could not make out a face.

"Mm?" _A girl's voice._

"Um...do you mind keeping it down a bit? My room's right above the training grounds, and I'm trying to sleep," he managed to mumble in a sleepy voice.

"Hm? You sound like you just woke up, Lord Corrin." She held a hand up to her face in shock. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I just get too into training sometimes that I forget about time and everything." The girl sheathed her sword and bowed apologetically. "I'll head back to my room now, sorry!" She scampered off, leaving a very tired and confused Corrin alone.

 _Uh..okay?_ He shrugged, too tired to really listen, and trudged back up the stairs to get back to sleep.

"Ugh...why are the royal quarters on the top floor," he moaned out loud. He swore he could have heard someone snickering in the distance.

* * *

Hana felt herself laughing as Corrin groaned about climbing the stairs.

 _He reminds me of Hinoka and Sakura as royals; they're so much more approachable. Not that Ryoma isn't, but he's just so...intimidating. And Takumi just seems angry at something all the time, which is weird._ She shrugged and opened the door to her quarters, carefully laying her katana on its stand. She stripped her uniform, changing into her nightclothes, and lay on her bed to try to get some semblance of rest.

 _Cheve..._

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! I've just been super busy recently, so haven't had much time to write till now. I'm still trying to flesh out Hana and Sakura's relationship, since it's obviously an integral part of her character, so there won't be as much interaction with Corrin (yet). Also, I've decided to go with a variation of the Birthright route, but I won't say much more here due to spoiler risk for those who haven't finished the game, and for my own story :P**

 **jin0uga: sorry I didn't update soon..but I updated! hope you enjoy it and stick along for the ride :)**

 **Spiner909: hope it's living up to expectations so far, although it's still kind of setting up!**

 **Guest: Hope this was a bit more smooth xD**

 **The Zubatman: Go for it! Personally, I just...didn't have anything for Setsuna. She kind of got introduced and I forgot about her...XD**

 **Aquawaves: I think so far, Clarity was easier to write just because I didn't have to flesh out characters. Robin and Cordelia were already pretty well-defined, but in this case, honestly, they had no real personality to go off of, so I have to spend the first few chapters establishing that. So hopefully I'm doing alright, but if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know, as I've never had to do this before! On the flip side, I really like how I can make them into my own characters; we can kind of start to see Hana's character at this point (it will become a lot clearer next chapter), and Corrin's development will come later.**

 **Emilioger: RIGHT? Like, I have no fun going back through the support convos. In Awakening, I could just scroll through those for days. Also, I think the little animations where they talk to you are kinda weird. I liked the portraits in Awakening a lot more...**

 **csihawk: As you said, not much story yet! and still not much story after this chapter. As I've mentioned to others, I'm still working on my own skills in fleshing out characters, and that's what this story is kind of for. Hope it's on the right path though, please don't hesitate to pass any suggestions!**

 **rydia3791: I worried too..because she's so fragile, if she doesn't avoid like two attacks she's dead T_T also, from your name, final fantasy 4 player? :D**

 **ragglefraggle97: glad you enjoyed it, and hope you enjoy this chapter too!**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Aha, which death? I think I can guess, but no spoilers XD I don't know, it felt weird when I recruited Caeldori, I'm not a huge fan of having clones of old characters appear in new games. I dunno why, but it bugs me.**

 **As always, please R &R, and really don't hesitate to drop any suggestions because I'm working on a new skill with this intro! **

**Enjoy :)**


	3. Chapter 3

A pale moon shimmered above, illuminating the cemetery in its eerie glow. Hana hugged her cloak around her a little more tightly and shivered as a cool breeze blew by. She followed a path to one of the largest tombstones, where she placed a light pink, folded flower petal. There was already a row of them, each sun-bleached in the order that they had been placed, and each folded in the same design. She stood and bowed in front of the tombstone before returning to her room.

* * *

It was a two day march to Cheve, with the Wind Tribe marking the halfway point. To most everyone's dismay, Azura pointed out that they would have to climb the Eternal Staircase to get to the Wind Tribe.

They were about halfway when everyone agreed that some rest would be well-earned, and food and drink were brought from the convoy. Hana felt restless, so she had a slice of bread and some water before excusing herself; she wasn't nearly as tired as most due to her typical training regimen, so she decided not to waste time and get some more practice swings in.

She made her way back down a few steps to where she'd noticed a small ledge that branched off the staircase. She lay her katana on the floor and unsheathed her practice blade, a far heavier, clumsier wooden blade. She figured if she practiced with that, using her katana would seem effortless in comparison. She got into her ready stance, and imagined an opponent fighting with one of the distinct Nohrian styles she'd been taught about. Soon, she was slashing through the air furiously, dodging imagined attacks when she heard a low growl. Snapped out of her rhythm, she sighed.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" She held her practice blade at the ready.

 _Crap. If I make a run for my katana, I could get jumped...guess I'll have to fight with this wooden sword._ She continued to circle in place, just fast enough to keep track of her periphery but not so fast she got dizzy.

"I know someone's there! Just-" She felt the wind knocked out of her from behind and groaned as she landed on and smacked her head against the hard stairs. She managed to push herself back onto her feet, albeit groggily, as she tried to retrieve her katana. Her muscles were screaming at her to stop, but she could already see the thing moving towards her.

 _Faceless?_ She didn't have time for any more thoughts as it closed in; she tried to fight it as she had before, but with the heavier blade and her lack of breath, she knew she couldn't hold it off for long. It swung a fist at her, and she parried. The wood vibrated with the blow, sending shock up her arm and rattling down her spine. It was all she could do to just hold on to the blade as the Faceless readied another punch. She managed to duck the punch, rolling under its legs, but she botched the landing, ending up on her back. Her vision was flashing in and out, and she knew the end of the battle was coming.

 _Beaten by a Faceless...how embarrassing._

The Faceless raised its hands above its head, preparing for a finishing blow, and Hana just managed to roll out of the way. The Faceless growled, digging its hands out of the hole it had made and preparing another killing strike. Hana snuck underneath the arms this time and smacked the Faceless in the chest, which only brought more vibrations which made her drop her sword.

 _Well...I don't know what I expected, hitting abs of steel with a wooden blade._

She was completely winded, and now weaponless. She leapt to a side but felt a strong grip latch onto her leg. She felt herself being jerked backwards, and the Faceless tossed her back towards the staircase. With the last of her energy, she managed to orient herself so that she landed in a tumble, diffusing the impact throughout her body. As she was passing out, she heard voices, although she couldn't be sure if they were real or imagined.

"Hana! We're here!"

"I...yeah…" she managed to mumble before mercifully passing out.

* * *

" _I brought you something, Hana."_

" _Ooh! What is it!" The little girl could hardly contain her excitement. "Show me, show me!"_

 _The man couldn't help but smile at her ill-contained excitement as he pulled out a small coin purse with floral designs._

" _Since it's your birthday, I thought you'd be old enough now to start having an allowance. And so you'll have somewhere to store it, I got you this at the market. Your first week's allowance is already in there." He held up the purse and she ran up to hug him._

" _Daddy...thank you so much!"_

" _You're welcome, honey. Just don't spend it all at once; saving is an important skill."_

" _I know, but you know what I'm going to get first?"_

 _He shook his head, and she leaned to whisper into his ear._

" _I'm going to get you a present!"_

* * *

"Hana? A-are you alright?" She blinked a few times to see a familiar face with a tuft of short red hair looking worriedly at her, gloved hands clutching a staff.

"Lady Sakura..I'm fine. Just have a pounding headache," she said as she rubbed her temples. "What...what happened? I just remember getting knocked out. Where are we?"

"We're at the Wind Tribe; they're letting us stay for the night. We'll be at Cheve tomorrow. That Faceless got you pretty good...but you should be good to go tomorrow morning. I don't know how, but you didn't have any fractures, so I had everything healed up while you were unconscious."

The tent flap opened, and Corrin walked in.

"Hana! Good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Wait…" her eyes narrowed at him.

 _Faceless are controlled by Nohrian mages...how did they know where we were? The only way is if someone in our group is a rat...someone who has connections to Nohr._

She pointed accusingly at him. "Did you set this up?"

"Set what up?" Corrin was nonplussed.

"This whole attack! How else would Nohr know our whereabouts? How would they know _exactly_ where we were on the Eternal Staircase? They don't have some magical tracking technology; _someone_ must have told them, and the only person with connections to Nohr is _you_."

"H-Hana…" Sakura tried to protest. "My brother helped us fight off the Faceless, and he himself carried you up the staircase from where you were knocked out."

"That doesn't _mean_ anything! He could be-" Hana felt her breath catch; she was still feeling the aftereffects of the blow. "Fine. You can trust him. But I'm going to be watching you very closely. Mark my words, _Lord_ Corrin." Hana slouched back into bed and pulled the blanket over herself.

 _There's no other explanation. We left Silas back at Hoshido and he's being watched over by guards...it has to be him! Didn't he say one of the Nohrian royals was a powerful mage? I'll bet he was the one controlling that Faceless._

"Hana, I know things don't add up. But I swear to the gods, I didn't set this up."

She turned her back on him, pointedly ignoring him. Corrin could only shrug his shoulders in resignation.

"Well, I hope you'll feel better."

"I will if you leave." He bowed his head before exiting. "Lady Sakura, how can you trust him?" Hana asked when she was sure he was out of earshot.

"Hana...I d-don't know, really. B-but something tells me that we can," Sakura said. "I know it d-doesn't make sense, but…" She could only shake her head vigorously, her brilliant red hair flying. "I just know."

"Lady Sakura...pardon my insolence, but that's not good enough for me. I respect your thinking, but until he can prove to me that he's not working for Nohr, I will be watching him."

Sakura sighed.

"W-well, I know how headstrong you are. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Sakura sniffled a little and Hana noticed her eyes beginning to water. "Subaki's in the hospital, Takumi and Ryoma are missing...I d-don't want to lose anyone else."

"Of course, Lady Sakura. I'd never want to leave you, either."

* * *

 **Next chapter's up! This one's a little shorter; I actually wrote more, but it would have been significantly longer, so most of the next chapter will be that one (and yes that means I should upload quicker for the next chapter at least!) There's just a little bit of tension here; Hana seems like someone who would definitely jump to conclusions before fully thinking things through, so that's going to be the basis of her initial conflict with Corrin. I don't plan to have this last very long though.**

 **The Zubatman: thanks! hope life stops getting in the way for you :( I definitely know how that feels though. Sometimes things might not go how you want, but if you stay strong you'll make things better!**

 **Guest: I'm flattered that you think so. A bit of drama here in this chapter between them, and the next chapter is going to be completely focused on drama! But beyond that, I can't promise much more drama. I'll try, though, as it's boring to just have them be lovey dovey all the time xD**

 **AceBen: Aww! Maybe my version of Hana will be more attractive to you :P although I can definitely see Oboro as well, I saw her as a less obvious Cordelia in that she obviously has a huge crush on Takumi (maybe not quite as intense as Cordelia's crush on Chrom)**

 **Kinglan10: Yeah, I know, I just felt like I should go with the story initially. Don't worry, that's not how any other battle is going to go! I definitely noticed the sloppy grammar and spelling too, which bugs me; sometimes I find myself reading a story, and I just can't keep going because of all the grammar mistakes. I understand I'm probably still going to have occasional typos here and there, so if you (OR ANYONE ELSE) notice any PLEASE do not hesitate to let me know, as that's one of my pet peeves XD Hope you enjoyed the "fight" between Hana and the Faceless (although it was really just Hana getting owned)**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Elise has to be the cutest thing in the world. I'd totally ship her except she's just too young...it just doesn't feel right.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: I feel like not just Hana, but almost all the characters outside of the royal families were severely underdeveloped; they just fil the standard tropes in JRPGs and that's it, there's no real backstory even though the potential is there. I actually don't find Azura as an awfully enticing character, I'm not quite sure why that is. Which story? :O**

 **jin0uga: whoop, another update! I'm spoiling you, aren't I? Hope you enjoy this one too :)**

 **Rydia379: Ohh, just because Rydia is a really famous character from final fantasy XD thanks for that suggestion! I think for this story, it'd be weird if I suddenly changed POVs. But maybe I could have a chapter or two from someone else's eyes? I'm not sure, but thanks for the tip, and I'll definitely keep it in mind!**

 **Spiner909: I know Hana feels a little too accepting, but in my opinion, she's so loyal to Sakura that she'll let Sakura override her. Obviously, in this chapter, some events happen to offset that, so hopefully it matches better with the Hana you have in mind.**

 **As always, thank you for all the reviews, and please R &R and most importantly enjoy! **


	4. Chapter 4

Hana woke the next morning refreshed and feeling better; the headache had seemed to wear away overnight. By the sounds of snoring, most everyone in the village was still asleep. She changed into her uniform and mulled over the past day's events.

 _I should check on Lady Sakura, then see if Lord Corrin is up to anything._ She gathered her belongings and exited the medical tent, scanning for Sakura's tent. She found the young princess sleeping peacefully, and she closed the tent flap gently.

 _Now to find what the turncoat is doing while he thinks everyone is sleeping…_

She found him sitting at the edge of a cliff, legs dangling over to the side. She crawled behind a rock to observe, hand on her katana hilt to be safe. Hana heard someone approaching, and saw Azura's familiar white robes.

"Corrin, what are you doing up so early?"

"Oh, hey, Azura. Just, you know. Taking in the sunrise. When I lived in my tower at Nohr, I had a perfect view of the sunrise and sunset. I used to get up early to see it, then go back to bed, which is part of why they had such a difficult time waking me up."

"I see. Well, I just woke up and was wondering where you were. Don't get back to camp too late," Azura said as she waved. Corrin nodded, then turned his attention back to the view in front of him. Hana continued to watch him, and she saw him sneak a glance at the direction that Azura had gone, as if making sure she was gone.

 _Suspicious..._ she turned her focus completely onto the young prince.

 _He has to be up to something._

He seemed to check a couple more times to see if she was gone, when he suddenly fell to the ground.

 _Huh?_

His shoulders suddenly began heaving, and he pounded his fists against the ground, bursting out into uncontrolled sobs. He stayed in that position, hunched over and pounding the ground, and Hana could see the puddles forming from his tears pooling on the dirt floor.

She felt bad for watching; it was clear that if he didn't want Azura seeing, he probably didn't want anyone seeing.

 _But..I can't just leave him here like this._ Hana sighed. _Sakura definitely wouldn't leave him here. What did Father used to say?_ Her mind flashed back to a memory of a lesson before he left.

 _Our job states that as a retainer, we must protect our employers. But we are also an extension of them; we must offer our aid when necessary and able._

She took a deep breath before crawling out from behind the rock.

"Um...Lord Corrin? Are you, um...okay?"

"W-what? Oh, gods," he wiped his nose on his sleeve and quickly rubbed his eyes before turning to face her, although it didn't do much. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and the tear tracks were fresh down his cheeks. "I didn't think anyone was there after Azura left. Did she send you to check on me?"

"What? Um," Hana exhaled deeply.

 _Well, he knows I don't trust him already anyways._

"Not exactly. I was just checking on what you were up to. I _did_ say yesterday I'd be keeping a close eye on you, remember."

Corrin shook his head.

"Look, Hana, I understand why you wouldn't trust me. There's no reason for you to, and if everyone listened to reason, they'd be like you and Saizo, and still doubting me. So I won't ask you to trust me; I just want you to leave me alone for now, though."

"I can't do that. If I leave you alone, you might be contacting Nohr." Hana pointed at him accusingly.

"Are you serious? Look at me right now," Corrin shot back incredulously. "Do I _look_ like I'm plotting something?"

"I dunno, you could have known I was watching and been acting this whole time." Hana refused to relent, the memory of the surprise attack still fresh in her mind.

"..." Corrin could only shake his head. Hana noticed his eyes still watering, and he turned away.

 _If he is acting...he's doing a damn good job._

"Alright, fine. If you can tell me what's bugging you, I might believe you," Hana said. She carefully placed her katana on the ground as a sign of peace.

Corrin faced her again, fresh tears trickling down your face. He took a deep breath before the words began to burst out.

"Sakura told me to be careful mentioning your father around you, due to how much his loss pains you. So I don't need to tell you what it's like to lose a family member." Hana nodded. "But do you know what it's like to be there when it happens? To be the one actually causing it, and to be able to do _nothing_ to stop it?" Corrin paused as the trickle down his face became a stream. "Do you know what it's like to hold your parent's body as their life ebbs away in your arms?" Hana shook her head, taking a step back at the vigor in Corrin's voice.

 _This is definitely not acting, even I can tell._

"In just two days, my entire world has fallen apart. I was living happily, isolated in my tower with people who cared about me. Then, I saw one of them murdered, was told the family I grew up with was not my real family, then I killed my own mother. Now, two of my blood siblings have been kidnapped, presumably by my adopted family, and knowing the Nohrian way, I'll probably have to _kill_ whichever of my adopted siblings is present at Cheve. Even worse, after deciding to betray the family I grew up with my whole life, the kingdom I chose to side with _still_ brands me a traitor and does not trust me. _Also_ , I just met everyone here, except Felicia. I don't have anyone in the camp I can talk or cry to, so excuse me if I just want some time to _cry alone._ " Corrin's hands had clenched into fists, and he pounded the ground again in frustration. Hana was shocked; Corrin had always seemed so measured, she hadn't expected such an explosion from him.

Gently, she patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lord Corrin. I…" she sighed. "I know what it's like to be alone, and with no one to understand your plight. I was the only girl training to be a samurai, and they only took me in because of my father's reputation. Everyone looked down on me, and that's why I became so attached to Sakura. I didn't even know she was part of the royal family when we met, we were so small back then. We used to explore Hoshido together, and she was always there to support me when I doubted myself."

"Yeah, well, hard to do that when the person I'm talking to right now doubts me," Corrin quipped.

"...Alright, you got me. But you yourself said I had no reason to trust you."

"Did Sakura have any reason to trust you?"

"..."

 _Well, I can see where this is going._ Hana remembered Sakura's decision, and the reasons she gave.

" _Lady Sakura, are you sure of this decision? We have many qualified samurai who would gladly serve you for the rest of their lives. Not only that, they are of the best quality we can offer." The court officials glanced nervously at each other; they hadn't prepared for Sakura to choose the girl to be her retainer._

" _I am s-sure."_

" _But, Lady Sakura-"_

" _I d-don't doubt you. But...I j-just know she's the right choice."_

Hana could only sigh in resignation.

"Fine. I'll trust you. If," Hana's face brightened into a grin, "you can last for two minutes in a practice duel with me."

"...You're kidding me."

"Nope. I'll go fetch some practice blades."

"I don't need one, I'll just turn into-"

"You can't turn into a dragon."

"But-"

"Come on. A _dragon_ against a pretty girl like me just isn't fair."

"..."

* * *

Hana was back within a few minutes with two dull wooden blades.

"Alright, you can count yourself lucky, there were only one minute hourglasses at the camp, so you only have to last one minute." She tossed one blade to Corrin, and the two assumed their ready stances.

Hana made the first move, a tentative stab at Corrin. He reflexively parried, and Hana withdrew, sword back in a guard position. She waited a few precious moments to see if Corrin would attack, but he seemed apprehensive.

 _Hm, defensive I see. Well, I can't just let him stand there for a minute. Let's see how those defenses hold up._ She continued on the offensive, testing Corrin's range and instincts with exploratory jabs, stabs, and slashes. Corrin blocked each one, trying to find some sort of pattern to her attacks. Without warning, she unleashed a flurry of slashes. Corrin parried furiously, the dull thunk of wood smashing against wood waking up the camp and bringing a few onlookers over. Hana sensed that Corrin was having trouble keeping up with her onslaught, and grinned mentally. She found that she had an edge in agility, and managed to land a few resounding smacks before long. To add insult to injury, she purposely smacked him on the buttocks whenever she could.

After what had to be around the tenth slap, Corrin suddenly turned on the offensive, taking Hana aback. She went for a jab to force him back, but he merely sloughed the stab off to the side, using Hana's momentum to force her to overextend. As she did, he landed a resounding blow against her side.

 _Oops,_ Hana thought as she reeled from the strike. The two resumed their ready stances, and Hana went back on the offensive, hacking and slashing with renewed vigor. Hana realized that Corrin was occasionally using two hands to block her stronger blows, and thought of a plan. When their blades met, Hana continued to apply pressure, forcing Corrin to bring both arms up to push back against her. She suddenly let go, and Corrin fell forward at the sudden change in momentum. Hana deftly stepped aside, letting Corrin fall flat on his face, and put the point of her sword against his back. Checking the hourglass, she shrugged.

"Close enough. Well fought, Lord Corrin." The prince dusted himself and gingerly stood up.

"They weren't kidding when they said you were one of the best samurai, male or female," Corrin said as he rubbed his posterior. "If that were a real fight, I'd have been dead in seconds."

"You're always free to train with me. Mornings and evenings usually, and whenever I have free time." Hana offered a hand, which Corrin approached with trepidation.

"So...does this mean we're on good terms now?"

"For now."

* * *

 **Lot faster update this time! I'll try to be better about it. Sorry to those of you who wanted drama to drag on...I don't think I'm very good at writing drama and it's not really something that I want to focus on in this story. BUT, I guess there is some, so, yeah. There might be some later. Obviously, the storyline twists and turns and there's lots of opportunities to put in shady events. I thought this chapter was more closely in line w/ the game's (limited) portrayal of Hana, so if you guys felt she was OOC and it bugged you maybe this chapter will be one you like more.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: I'm glad you're enjoying her! I wish they could have fleshed out more of the characters; I wouldn't have minded if they had less characters but each one had more personality, honestly. And congrats on your story! I'll try to check it out when I have time, I've just been swamped by so many things that I haven't really had time to critically read anything.**

 **jin0uga: Haha, she'll figure it out sooner or later. xD this is a story with them getting together eventually, after all!**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: I know she's SUPPOSED to be, but...she just doesn't look it. and it bugs me. to no end. yeah.**

 **I hope i'll be able to update as soon as I can! As always, please R &R and enjoy :) **


	5. Chapter 5

It was almost dusk by the time they reached the outskirts of Cheve; Corrin, acting as leader, had called for a strategy meeting during dinner, bringing all the royals into his tent. The retainers remained outside, munching away to build their reserves for the fight that was to come.

"So...what was that duel all about? Everyone's asking about it," Hinata said. "I can't believe you actually won!" Hana rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Hinata, I've _told_ you, a girl can beat a guy, _especially_ if that girl is me. Why, I've seen you get your lunch handed to you by Oboro plenty of times." Hana held out a fist to a blue-haired girl who was chewing on a roll next to her, and she bumped it with her own fist.

"Heh, you got that right, Hana," Oboro said. "But, actually though; what _was_ that duel about?"

"Well...I basically told him that I'd trust him if he could live through a minute of a duel with me." Hana shrugged. "Seemed like a good way to get some extra training in; I figured he's been taught Nohrian combat techniques, and seeing as that's what we're fighting tonight, wouldn't hurt to get some practice."

Oboro shuddered and a scary look crossed her face.

"Damn right. Nohrian scum. How are you sure we can trust him though?"

"I-"

"We can't." They turned their attention to the person who spoke, a ninja with a mask covering the lower half of his face. "Since he showed up, everything's gone wrong. Queen Mikoto was killed. Ryoma and Takumi are missing. For all we know, we're being willingly led to a trap…"

"Saizo, I know that's how things seem, but-" Hana stopped herself.

 _I don't think he'd want them knowing._ "Look, I talked to him earlier today. There's some stuff I can't tell you, but I think we can trust him."

"Please. Words are hollow. He's done nothing to make me trust him, and until he does, I'll have a shuriken trained on his back." Without another word, Saizo disappeared into the shadows.

"He's right, you know. I mean," Oboro leaned in and lowered her voice. "He's _Nohrian._ "

"He's not like the others, though," Kaze said. "For one, he showed mercy. Rinkah can attest to that; we were both captured, but he refused to kill us, going against the orders of their king."

Hana tilted her head.

 _Huh, I didn't know that._

"What happened," she asked.

Kaze leaned back against a tree. "Well, me, Rinkah, and another couple soldiers got caught while scouting around the border. We were brought in front of the king, who ordered Lord Corrin to kill us. Lord Corrin refused, saying we were defenseless. His brother then used some spell on us, making us appear dead, but it merely knocked us out. Lord Corrin then let us out of the castle in the night."

"Hm…" _Interesting,_ Hana thought.

"Still, I'm inclined to side with Saizo. Until he shows us through actions, it'll be hard to trust him." Oboro gripped at her spear handle until her knuckles were white and her face adopted the same scary look it had shown moments before. Kaze had just opened his mouth to continue the discussion when they heard a snap that sounded like a rope trap had been triggered. Oddly enough, there was no reaction to the sound.

"Alright, who thinks it's Setsuna, and who thinks we actually caught something," Hana said, trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm...I'm okay, guys. Really. Just-ow-set off another bear trap."

* * *

Once their meeting concluded, the royals joined their retainers for dinner. Hana greeted Sakura heartily, having already set aside a bowl of rice and a plate of sides for her.

"Hana, thanks! Y-you didn't have to," Sakura said as she accepted the food.

"Oh, hush. That's my job. If the food's bad, though, just know I wasn't on cooking duty."

"Oh, suuure," Sakura said, and the two giggled at their little joke. It wasn't anything special, but both cherished it as a rare moment of time where they could forget their age, social standing, and just be best friends with each other, and nothing more or less.

"Hey, where's Lord Corrin?" Hana noticed the young prince was missing.

"Oh? Why are you so interested," Sakura said between mouthfuls of food.

"What? Nothing!" Hana blushed furiously. "I-I was just wondering where he was, since I saw Hinoka and you come out! And he needs to eat, we all do, to gather our strength before the battle!"

"Right," Sakura said, her stammer noticeably gone as she delighted in teasing Hana. "Or maybe you," Sakura sighed in mock horror, "like him? I don't think you've ever liked a guy before, now that I think about it."

"...Are we done here?" Hana folded her arms in mock anger as she waited for Sakura to compose herself.

"You know, he _did_ say you were quite pretty earlier today," Sakura said, bringing out a loud "Hey!" from Hana. Sakura held up her hands in surrender."Okay, okay, I'm done. Well, if you haven't seen him around, he's probably still in the meeting tent. Maybe you should bring him something to eat, too?"

"Yeah, I'll do that. _Not_ because I like him," Hana reiterated, glaring at Sakura, who merely laughed and waved her off. Hana quickly gathered the food and walked to the meeting tent.

"Lord Corrin? Are you in there?" She asked from outside.

"Yeah, come on in." Hana pushed through the tent flap to find him rubbing his platinum blonde hair at the table.

"Er…I brought you some food," Hana said, putting the bowl of rice and sides on the table.

 _Wow, this is awkward,_ she thought. _Darn it, Sakura, why did you go putting ideas in my head?_

"Hm? Oh, thanks," Corrin replied, a bit absentmindedly, without glancing at it.

"Lord Corrin, if I may bother you, you really should eat. We're going to be fighting later, and you'll need all the strength you can get. It's in your own interest to at least get something down," she finished.

"Yeah, I know," he responded, still not really looking up and leaving a very put off samurai in front of him. She paced over to stand next to him, but still received no response. Without warning, she raised her hand and, with a slight grin, slapped him across the cheek.

"Ow! What was that for," he yelped, leaping up. "Oh, hey, Hana. Um, what are you doing here?"

"Were you not listening to everything I just said?" Hana shook her head. "Whatever. I brought you some food; you should try to get something down before we battle tonight."

"Oh, crap. Yeah, I completely forgot. Just had some stuff on my mind; thanks a ton, though, Hana." He pulled the food across the table and began to wolf it down.

"Lord Corrin, if you don't mind me asking...you seemed preoccupied when I came in. Was something on your mind?"

Corrin's shoulders dropped.

"Well, yes. Just...you know, it's tough. Sakura and Hinoka trust me completely because I'm their long-lost brother, but pretty much all of you retainers don't trust me. While I understand why that is the case, it doesn't make it any less stressful for me, you know?"

Hana nodded, while wryly noting the irony of the situation.

"For what it's worth, Lord Corrin, I tried to defend you just now when they were speaking ill of you. But, why don't you try telling them your story? From what I've heard, they don't know the half of it. I'm sure if you told them what you told me, they'd understand the pain you have to go through."

"...Hana, you don't even know half of it yet. The weight I bear...it's no one else's burden but mine." Corrin turned away and focused back on the table, food forgotten again. Hana sat down next to him.

"Then tell me. Tell me everything, so I can understand. You don't have to shoulder it alone, you know. I'm sure Sakura and Hinoka would be glad to listen; so would Ryoma if he were here. Takumi...well, you know. Kill a few Nohrians in front of him and then he'd gladly help out. And, well," Hana smiled brightly. "You can always talk to me too, I guess. I might not be of royal blood, but I'll listen. _While_ we're training, of course."

Corrin turned and smiled at her, the first genuine smile she'd seen on his face.

"Thanks for that, Hana. I'll consider your offer if you promise to stop slapping my butt in training."

"..."

* * *

Cheve, like many Nohrian cities, was a dark, foreboding town. The buildings were scrunched together, forming alleys that reeked of an ill presage.

"This is a Nohrian city?" Corrin looked around himself, shocked. "I never knew…" He shook his head, while Hinoka patted his shoulder.

"They probably hid all these from you so that you would never know Nohr's true nature." She turned to look ahead. "But that's why we're fighting," Azura said, as she gripped her naginata.

"You're both right," Corrin said. "Nohr has been shrouded in darkness for so long...perhaps we can change that."

"Oh...I h-hope Ryoma and Takumi are here," Sakura said.

"I'm sure they will be," Hinoka said. "Ryoma's Ryoma, and Takumi is strong; soon, we'll all be reunited in the fight against Nohr!"

Hana heard footsteps and shushed everyone.

"Someone's coming," she whispered, katana drawn. The sound of metal boots on the cold cement reverberated off the walls of the buildings.

 _It must be-whoa,_ Hana thought as the figure stepped out. It had on the dark, ornate armor of the royals, and a tiara adorning its long, flowing, lilac hair which draped itself like a cape down her back. She had a pout on her face that seemed too young for one of her age. Her body was curved and angled almost perfectly, as far as Hana could see, breasts almost falling out of the suggestively cut breastplate she wore. Her leggings had an -intentional?- opening at the groin, where Hana could see just a tiny piece of purple fabric, and her boots accentuated the sway of her hips and posterior with each step.

 _Whoa, did I just check her out?_ Hana shook her head, disgusted with herself, until she looked and saw all the men, even Saizo, transfixed.

 _Ugh, gross._

The woman held her hands out towards Corrin.

"Ah, I see you missed your big sister," she said in a voice that was lilting but smooth as silk, a voice that drew everyone's attention in. She approached him, body jiggling with every step, and giggled as she reached out to pinch his cheeks. "You're so...cute," she said. "Oh, my darling Corrin! I missed you so much. Someone told me that you were coming here, and I just couldn't resist meeting you. She threw her body at him, bear hugging him. The rest of their force watched, transfixed by her.

"Camilla!" Corrin himself seemed shocked, but Hinoka charged forward and pushed the other woman away.

"Back off, lady! That's my brother you're smothering."

"Hinoka! It's okay," Corrin said, waving her off. Hana looked at Corrin in shock.

 _After all he said to me? She's a Nohrian! I thought he was on our side.._

Camilla's face adopted the same pout it had when she first appeared.

"So, this is your new big sister?" Camilla's hands shot back down to her hips. "She's...smaller than I expected," she said with a smirk.

"Hey! What are you saying!" Hinoka drew her spear, ready to fight, but Corrin held her back.

"Camilla, you know I could never replace you. But I couldn't stand for what King Garon represented. You saw him try to force me to kill those innocent prisoners...I had to make an impossible decision."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Camilla answered immediately, as if she hadn't really been listening to what he had said. "I'm happy to see you with your new siblings and friends…" She hugged him again.

Hana's eyes narrowed.

 _What's she getting at now?_

"All I ever wanted was for you to be loved!" Camilla let Corrin go from her arms, eyes adopting the look of a hunter. "But if only this joy could last…" She suddenly raised her arm and was surrounded by an orange flame. Hana instinctively leapt in front of Sakura, protecting her with her body.

"What are you doing!" She yelled, katana ready.

"Oh? And who is this? Are all Hoshido women so tiny?" Camilla giggled disturbingly again. "I'm so terribly jealous...my dear Corrin chose you over us! He'll never be our brother again...I'll never get to sing him to sleep…" Her eyes flashed dangerously and her voice lashed out with unforeseen venom and force.

"I'll make you pay for taking him from us! All of you will die, here and now!" Two archers appeared on buildings flanking the alley, along with a muscled man wielding a huge axe and an ugly grin.

Hana quickly shoved Sakura behind her while Corrin yelled instructions.

"Everyone! Take cover!"

The battle had begun.

* * *

 **Updated! I was going to put the battle in this chapter but it would have gone on for too long, so you guys will have to wait for that one. I was kind of debating how to describe Camilla, but I guess this is what the game decides to focus on, and it does seem to be a significant part of her character, but if there are any objections please let me know.**

 **Guest: I agree that he didn't, but there's really no way for him to explain and for them to listen, so I'm having the characters go on the assumption that he did. I think it's pretty clear in this chapter that I'm setting up for Corrin to have a heart to heart with Hana soon where everything's going to come out, and that should be an interesting chapter. I also happened to do what you recommended about how other characters view Corrin, although it was more of a dinnertime gossip thing rather than following individual characters around; I felt that if I did switch the point of view too much it might be distracting/not a smooth read. That's actually a great idea! I'll have something like that at the end of this story :) and yes, we are! At some point, the whole backstory is going to be put out there for everyone, I just haven't quite reached the point where I think it works best yet. Thanks for the insightful comments and suggestions!**

 **rydia3791: glad it matches what you expect! I think a lot of times friendships and relationships start like that; harmless interaction/flirting, and then you realize it's too late to back out (at least, that's what happens for me xD) I'm glad you appreciate the shoutouts! I like feeling like the writing of the story is a fluid process, so hearing feedback from readers is always constructive :)**

 **Mega Sodarayg: WOOPS. will go back and fix that later, thanks for catching it! and yay, i'm glad I'm not the only one who liked the pairing xD**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Eh, I guess. Something like that. Maybe B rank after the battle, if they fight together enough :P**

 **Gallian Squad 7: That's definitely going to be part of their flirting, especially since Hana loves to train so much. Although her obsession with training is something that I want to explore further, but it might not be within the scope of this story. I'll try to have Corrin get some form of payback ;)**

 **jin0uga: I think the game just doesn't feature enough of the other characters letting loose; all the retainers are so tied to their stereotypical personality that we don't get to see any variation, so instead of thinking of a character as, say, Felicia, we just lump her in with all the insignificant other servants who mess up all the time. So my goal is also to give Hana some more personality! Tbh, a LOT of things were looked over...I wish they spent more time on the game, BUT OH WELL.**

 **As always, please R &R and enjoy! :) Again, sorry for all you bloodthirsty readers, but the battle is on the way! **


	6. Chapter 6

Just the two archers were able to effectively box them in the corridor, preventing any advance. They were trapped, like fish in a barrel, and the archers only had to steadily aim and fire. Only Orochi and the ninjas could even think about striking the archers, but it was far too risky with the Nohrians already establishing the higher ground.

 _If Reina was here…_

As if in answer, a Hoshidan Kinshi's cry could be heard from above. The two archers turned their heads before jerking forward, arrows in their backs. A great white bird lowered itself and its rider slung her bow over her shoulder. She had a scar on her face in the shape of an X, with the cross right over her nose.

"Um...hi?" Corrin waved meekly, unsure who this was.

"Ah, at last. Lord Corrin, I am Reina, a retainer to Mikoto. Yukimura sensed you would need help, and the capitol is stable for now, so here I am."

"I...see. Well, thanks for taking out those archers. Everyone, we need to get into that open space in front of the river before more archers come in!"

They advanced quickly, a phalanx of death that cut through the Nohrians in their way. Reina and Hinoka kept track of archers from above, with Reina sniping any before they could get a clear shot at the fliers. They managed to regroup across a small river. Camilla, her retainers, and the rest of the Nohrian force awaited them on the other side of it, weapons drawn.

"I don't see any more ranged attackers," Corrin said. "Reina, Hinoka, cover us from the air." The group advanced towards the bridge when the axe-wielder stepped forward.

"Ha! If it isn't the little prince," he sneered nastily. "Come face me, without your army protecting you. I've always wanted a trophy...your head will do fine."

Hana felt her blood boil.

"Lord Corrin, you don't need to waste your time on this scum."

Corrin shook his head and put an arm out, stopping Hana.

"No, Hana. I appreciate the gesture...but this is one fight I want." He stepped forward, angling his golden blade in a ready stance. "Hans! It's time to answer for Gunther's death."

Corrin dashed forward, slashing at the barbarian, who leapt backwards and brought his axe down in a crushing motion. Corrin barely sidestepped it, and the two snarled. Hana felt her heart leap into her throat multiple times; she knew that with a man of Hans' strength, one strike would be enough. Hana watched as they clashed, and the disdain between them was apparent; she realized that this Corrin was fighting on a completely different level than the one she had dueled before.

The Yato crashed repeatedly against the sharp ends of Hans' axe, sparks flying with each collision. There was no banter in this fight; the pure hatred was palpable in the air, and the onlookers held their breath. As Corrin pushed Hans towards the dam, his feet slipped on the sandy shore, and he was forced to pause his onslaught for a split second. Hans took the opportunity to reverse their roles, boring down on Corrin with his hefty axe.

For someone of his size, Hans was deceptively agile, and was a true master of the axe. Hana had always been taught that swords were an advantage over the axe, but she couldn't tell watching them fight. Hans swung his axe at lightning speed, and it was taking Corrin all he could to parry and dodge the strikes.

And then it happened. A swift sideways strike with the blunt side of the axe blade knocked Corrin's sword from his hand and left him reeling.

"Gahaha! Now you can follow that old man into the abyss!" Hans reared back and leaped into the air, axe angled for the kill. Corrin rolled to the side and the axe caught his cape, but he had bought all the time he needed. His transformation into his dragon form half complete, he shot a bolt of pure energy from his outstretched arm, blowing through Hans' chest.

The barbarian had a moment to gasp at the gaping hole in his chest before he fell, dead. Corrin's arm transformed back to his human arm and he retrieved the Yato, without sparing another glance at Hans' corpse.

"Now, back to actual matters," he muttered, dusting himself off.

* * *

The last of the Nohrian forces were proving difficult to defeat. Though they had gotten past the heavily armed guards with Orochi's magic, Camilla's retainers were difficult to handle. Oboro and Hinata were fighting a red-haired girl and her few remaining troops, with support from Saizo and Kagero. Hinoka and Reina, with an assist from Kaze, were trying to track down her other retainer, a wyvern rider who hadn't spoken a word the whole battle. Corrin and Hana defended Felicia and Sakura, covering the healers as they tended to injuries.

"Hana! Oboro just got stabbed, I need to get there!" Sakura, in the heat of battle, had forgotten her stammer.

"Of course. Stay behind me! Lord Corrin," Hana nodded towards Camilla, who was waiting behind all the fighting. "Go do what you must. We'll take care of her retainers." He nodded.

"Felicia, go with them and help." The maid nodded and quickly did as instructed. Hana's eyes followed Corrin as he drew his blade and paced towards his former sister.

 _I hope he'll be okay…_

Hana saw two Nohrians in her way, deftly impaling one through the stomach while landing a swift kick to the other's groin. While on the floor, Felicia finished him off with a shuriken.

"Oboro! We have healers; are you alright?" Hana gently put a hand on the girl's shoulder and used the other to apply pressure to the stab wound on her abdomen.

"A-ahh," she groaned. "I'll make it...but I ruined this robe…"

Hana couldn't help smiling.

"It's ok, we can always get you another one."

"Yeah, but I like this one...That girl, Selena," Oboro said, pointing towards the red-haired girl. "She's strong."

"I'll deal with her. Don't worry," Hana said confidently. Hinata was fighting off the remaining Nohrian soldier while Selena was obnoxiously yelling at them. Hana rushed forward, eager for a duel. Without a word, she sprinted past Hinata to the girl, drawing her katana.

"Oh, ew, who are _you_ ," Selena said, drawing her own blade. "Why do I have to waste time with you? You're even flatter than my mother," she sneered.

 _Okay, people need to stop picking on me about that today,_ Hana thought absentmindedly. Her only outward response was to rush forward, bringing out a quick slash that the girl just barely dodged.

"Hey! That's not fair, you can't just rush me like that," the girl said. She brandished her own blade before taunting Hana with her finger. "Alright, I'm ready now," she said, tongue out. Hana was about to rush forward when she heard a yell from Hinata. She quickly peeked over; he'd finished off the last Nohrian, but not without sustaining a serious wound.

"Felicia," she yelled. "Hinata needs a medic, quick!" She listened for the maid's footsteps and sighed when she heard someone trip and hit the cement floor.

"Hey! Are we gonna fight, or what?" Without waiting for another answer, Selena sped towards Hana, catching her on her heels. Hana parried each blow, giving ground until she could find an opening. The girl's fighting style didn't seem to be Nohrian, or at least not any style Hana had ever practiced against. She continued to block until she was almost forced onto the small beach that Corrin had slipped on earlier. She managed to force the other girl backwards, using her defense as offense. The girl snarled in frustration as she failed to land a blow on Hana.

"Ugh. all you do is defend!" Hana sensed her next blow would be a powerful one, and when the girl wound her arm back for the tiniest moment, Hana ducked underneath her arm and elbowed her right above the kidney. The girl's body froze as pain shot through her body. Hana kicked her sword away.

"Do you _ever_ shut up?" she asked the girl, irritated. "She's all yours, Saizo." The ninja appeared from the shadows with a grunt and a nod, shuriken trained on Selena's head. Hana sprinted towards where Corrin would be fighting Camilla.

(line break)

"Camilla! Please! Withdraw, now. I don't want to fight you." Corrin yelled at the woman, who tutted.

"I, too, don't want to fight someone I love so dearly...but you _chose_ this path, Corrin!" She suddenly shot a bolt of fire which caught Corrin by surprise; he didn't expect they would fight so soon.

"Ahh!" He yelled as he flew back from the impact. "Camilla...please," he croaked.

"I just wanted to hold you in my arms again...but you betrayed us," she said. "The only way I can hold you again…" She readied another fireball, this one pulsating with energy. She dismounted from her dragon to stand over him, ready to blast him with it.

"Lord Corrin!" Hana rushed onto the scene, and with a snarl, Camilla redirected her magic towards her. Hana somersaulted under it, springing up with her katana ready.

"Oh, you cute little thing," Camilla lilted. "You really must stop getting between my lovely brother and me, I'd hate to kill such an adorable little girl."

Hana's eyes narrowed.

"I don't have anything to say to you." She leapt forward, striking at Camilla, who pulled out an axe of her own and blocked the strike. She struck back at Hana, and round and round they went, sparks flying and each fighting with a clear intent.

Corrin watched with hushed breath. They were fighting to kill, it was plain to see, yet he cared deeply for Camilla and had been growing closer to Hana over the past couple days, and he watched with bated breath. They were still dancing, equally offensive and defensive. Crushing blows and agile lunges were traded, but the two were too skilled to hit each other easily. Hana knew to stay in close to nullify Camilla's magic; Camilla needed time to prepare each spell for it to do real damage. Camilla knew Hana's strength lay in her speed, and she used the great size of her axe almost as a shield, warding off Hana's serpent-like strikes. She tried to hide charging fireballs behind it, but Hana knew the trick and forced her to keep her axe moving to stave off blows. When Hana backed off, even for a fraction of a moment, she would unleash her axe, hewing at the girl in front of her. Hana found herself at the wrong spot, and was forced to duck backwards, falling on her back. She scampered back on her feet just in time only for Camilla to deliver a bruising blow against her side with the flat of the axe blade.

Hana felt the wind knocked out of her. She leapt backwards; she would concede a chance for Camilla to ramp up a fireball for a brief reprieve.

"I envy you all," Camilla said with a finality. "You get to be by Corrin's side…" Hana sensed her chance was now; without waiting to catch her breath and instead blocking out her throbbing flank, she sprinted forward. Camilla cackled and released the ball of fire at her. Hana deflected it with her blade, grimacing as she felt her katana heat up, and continued to rush forward.

"Hii-YA!" Camilla stumbled backwards; Hana's blade hadn't managed to get through her armor, but left a gaping slash mark on her breast from which blood poured.

"Argh…" Camilla fell, unable to get up. Hana kicked Camilla's tome and axe away from her with a disgusted look. "Are..are you going to kill me?" She looked up at Hana, who still stood above her, katana drawn. Hana raised the katana and thrust it downwards. Corrin could only gasp, as he still was in no position to get on his feet.

The blade buried itself next to Camilla's head.

"Trust me, every part of me wants to. But I can't kill a defenseless person; that's not the Hoshidan way. Corrin, come try to talk some sense into your 'sister'". Hana turned her back on Camilla and helped Corrin to his feet. Corrin draped an arm around her shoulder, using her as a crutch as they moved back towards Camilla, who hadn't moved.

"...You truly are a kind soul." Camilla refused to look Hana in the eye, instead focusing on Corrin. "Corrin..why did you betray us? Why-" Camilla grimaced and grabbed at the slash wound on her chest. "Why did you choose them over us? Why...do you fight for Hoshido?"

"Camilla...here, take my hand." He offered a hand to her, which she took incredulously. He pulled her into a sitting position. "Felicia!" The maid looked up from where she was tending to Hinata. "When you're all set with Hinata, we need you here." The girl stumbled over, somehow managing to maintain her footing. She took out her stave and began waving it over Camilla's wound, which began to slowly close up.

Corrin took a breath.

"Camilla...please, listen. King Garon lied to me."

"Father?" Camilla's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes. He gave me that sword not as an act of love or acceptance, but because he saw me as a tool. I was the vessel who was meant to bring that blade to Hoshido. Do you know what happened afterwards Camilla?"

Camilla shook her head.

"I blew up a city square. I killed countless innocent people. I killed Queen Mikoto. I single handedly escalated this war into what it is. And that was all according to King Garon's plan."

"That's…" Camilla shook her head.

"Do you know why I didn't die when the sword exploded? Because Queen Mikoto threw herself over me, to protect me from the explosion. I was _meant_ to die, Camilla. King Garon used me, as a suicide bomb, to escalate this war."

"But...that's-" She was interrupted by a bright flash of light.

"Completely false," The light said. A young figure strode out from it, with short, well-combed blonde hair. He wore similar dark Nohrian plates adorned with gold, and his collar was undone. Hana drew her blade again. She was still exhausted from battling Camilla, but she had no choice.

"Lord Corrin, I'll handle this." Corrin held out an arm, holding her back.

"No...this is my brother, Leo."

"Ex-brother. I don't associate with traitors." Leo's voice was haughty and clipped, and his face was one of pure steel. "Trying to trick our sister into following your footsteps. What a deplorable prince. Sorry I'm late, Camilla. I'll handle things from here." Camilla limped back to his side.

"Corrin...after everything you told me, I just have one thing to tell you." Camilla hugged Leo tightly and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Leo's always been my favorite little brother."

With a smirk, Leo teleported Camilla away. He then brought out his tome. A bolt of green energy formed in his's hand and shot towards Corrin. Still weakened from the earlier blow, he had no chance of dodging it. Hana tried blocking it with her blade, but the bolt split into four and surrounded her in a cage of green energy.

Hana's eyes widened in shock, and she tried furiously to ward off the pulsating arcs that streaked towards her from the cage until one finally struck her square in the chest. She saw an unfamiliar shape behind Leo and heard Corrin yell something before she blacked out.

* * *

 **Sorry, cliffhanger XD So not much else to say about this one, it's a battle xD I don't think how the story portrays what happens when Corrin talks to Camilla is realistic; Corrin had no actual proof beyond what he said, and if Camilla believed Nohr's side of the story enough to be willing to kill him she'd need a LOT of convincing to change her mind. I debated how to write the battle, and I thought focusing on these battles between main characters while glossing over the standards of fighting the nameless troops would be better, but please let me know any suggestions about this.**

 **Guest: Wow, thanks for the suggestions! It was a lot to sort out. As you can see, I did use some of your suggestions, and you'll see from the next chapter that I used a few more :) don't feel bad if I didn't use them though; I usually have about 40-50% of the next chapter written out when I publish one chapter, so the tone/main events are usually already set. But I can promise there will be something similar to what you suggested in the next chapter :) again, thank you so much for the suggestions!**

 **The Zubatman: I'll try to put more of those interactions if I can then! Obviously, wouldn't work in this chapter since everyone's fighting, but I'll do my best :) and yeah, I did notice that. I guess it just makes the contrast between the two factions even more apparent?**

 **jin0uga: glad you liked it! I'm just not sure a lot of the times, because I want to stay true to the character that was intended but at the same time I want to add some of my own twists to them, so it's always a feeler to see how you guys like/dislike the characters, so I'm glad I was able to do well on a character you enjoy :) is the cookie chocolate chip?**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Yup, it takes a lot to change someone's first impression. But Hana's will change soon ;) I really wanted Kana to appear, but the logistics don't make sense. It takes 9 months give or take to have a baby, so...it doesn't really make sense time wise that they can have a baby mid-war. Although, if everyone _does_ want some Kana chapters, I can always do a prologue or oneshots or whatever? XD **

**As always, please R &R and enjoy! **


	7. Chapter 7

_Hana could only watch helplessly as her father walked off into the distance._

" _Father! Please, don't go! You're going to die," she yelled, but he could not hear her. He was too far away; she ran to catch up, and the scene shifted to the narrow alleys of Cheve._

" _Father!" She panted. "Father, please! They're going to ambush you! Please listen!" But he was still deaf to her pleas as he marched with King Sumeragi. She watched as they met King Garon, even shaking hands with him._

"Father!" She yelled out, and sat up, clutching at her chest when she felt a sharp, stabbing pain there. She could feel tears in her eyes, and she quickly looked around to make sure no one had seen her outburst. A soft hand gently pushed her back into a lying position.

"Sakura said you'd be waking up today. How are you feeling?"

"Oh...Lord Corrin. Um...where are we? What did I miss? And what are you doing here?" The questions rolled out of her mouth before her mind could catch up.

"Well, I was just checking up on you. I can get Sakura, if you'd like." Corrin looked a bit offended, and Hana quickly shook her head.

"No, Lord Corrin, that's not what I meant. I...don't mind you being here." She blushed slightly and turned away. "But what happened? And how am I not dead?"

"Well, after you got hit, Ryoma and Takumi showed up, and they were leading a huge rebel army. So we managed to force Leo and Camilla to retreat…"

* * *

Leo turned towards Corrin, ready to follow through on his promise to kill them all. Just as he prepared, an armored knight tacked him forward, causing him to collide with Camilla.

"Gah! Who are you," Leo said as he regained his footing. The knight did not respond, only gesturing with his lance. Suddenly, a huge force, led by a frizzy-haired woman atop a wyvern and an archer with a glowing bow, emerged into Cheve. "What...are these...the rebels?" Leo cursed. "We can't win this. Corrin! You're dead to me. Next time I _will_ leave no trace of you behind." With a brilliant flash of light, Leo and Camilla were gone.

The knight shrugged and greeted Corrin with a wave.

"Nice to see you, prince."

"Thanks for that. But who are you?"

"I'm surprised you don't recognize my voice." He removed his helmet to reveal a familiar face.

"Ryoma! So this is where you've been!"

* * *

"So we found Ryoma and Takumi; they were uniting the rebel forces, but they couldn't let anyone know for fear of word spreading to Nohr."

"I see," Hana mused. "Well, at least they're safe."

"Right, Sakura said to get her when you woke up." Corrin got up and left suddenly, leaving Hana nonplussed.

"What, he can't even say bye? Sheesh," she said to no one in particular once she was sure he had left. "You'd think a _royal_ would have been taught better _manners_ like saying bye to someone who literally _saved their-"_

"Someone sounds put off," Sakura walked in with a knowing smile. "I c-can just call him back when I'm done examining you."

Hana flushed.

"Well, he's not supposed to be here for the physical examination anyways," Hana said as she took off her tunic.

"I mean, I _could_ tell him to come back," Sakura winked evilly.

"Lady Sakura! Since when did _you_ get so inappropriate!" Hana drew the covers up to her chest.

"I don't know, since when did _you_ start liking boys?"

"..."

"Hehe, you're becoming awfully warm, Hana. Are you getting a fever?"

"Lady Sakura!" Hana ducked under the covers, while Sakura let out a fit of giggles.

"Alright, I'm done now, Hana. Come on, I need to make sure you're okay," Sakura pulled the blanket off of Hana.

"Fine." Sakura inspected her chest, where there was a large bruise. Hana winced when Sakura pressed against it. "Hm, still pretty tender." She ran over the rest of Hana's body before waving her staff over her chest. "You'll probably need to rest a couple more days, but then you should be fine."

"Thanks, Lady Sakura.

"Of course. One last thing I think you should know: my brother never left your bedside while you were unconscious." Sakura waved and left, but not before promising to check on Hana again later.

Hana plopped back down on the pillow, burying her face in it. She didn't want to admit it, but hearing that Corrin had been there with her made her feel happy, and she couldn't help grinning into her pillow for a moment.

 _Okay, maybe I do like him_ , she thought. She mulled over what Sakura had said. _Although, I have no idea what it means to like a guy._ She made a mental note to talk to Sakura about it, although Sakura had never expressed any interest in dating, either. _Hm..maybe Reina? Nah, she scares off all the guys. Hm..Azura gets a lot of guys, but I don't think she's interested. I know Kagero had the whole thing with Saizo; maybe Oboro can give some tips?_

 _Geez, this is hard._

* * *

Corrin gently flipped the wok, spreading the heat out among the vegetables. With Hana waking up so late, dinner had finished long ago, and he figured she'd need something to eat. He heard footsteps coming towards him and turned around to see the Hoshidan royal family walking towards him.

"Big Brother! D-did you not get enough to eat?" Sakura rushed forward to hug him.

"Hey, Sakura. Are you done examining Hana? I just figured she might want something to eat after being out for so long."

"Oooh, you're interested in Hana?" Hinoka ribbed. "Hey, she's a keeper. I don't think she'd let anyone get near you."

"What? No, I'm just-I don't want her to starve!" Corrin sputtered.

"Right," Ryoma said, chuckling. "That's why your face is the same color as Hinoka's hair, right?"

"H-hey, Ryoma, you shouldn't be talking. W-what about you and Scarlet?" Sakura interjected, shutting Ryoma up right away as they all shared a hearty laugh, except Takumi.

"For all we know, he could be poisoning the food," Takumi hissed, arms folded.

"Takumi, quit it," Ryoma said forcefully. "Corrin's proved that he's on our side."

"Yeah? He couldn't kill Camilla when he had the chance. He couldn't even attack her."

"Takumi, I tried to reason first. Imagine if you just realized that Ryoma, Hinoka, and Sakura have been lying to you all along; how would you take it?" Corrin sighed. _They just don't understand._ "Whatever; food's done, I'm gonna bring it to Hana." He hastily emptied the contents of the wok into a plate, covered it, and walked out in a huff. He thought he heard them yelling at Takumi, but didn't bother to check.

 _Hana's probably starving, anyways_ , he thought with a small smile.

* * *

Hana heard a rushed knock on her door.

"Come in," she said. Corrin burst in, almost collapsing in the doorway. She shot up in bed and instantly regretted it, a sharp pain stabbing her in the chest. She grimaced and lay back down. "Everything okay?"

Corrin closed the door behind him.

"I brought you something to eat; figured you'd be hungry after passing out for so long." He held the plate of food up and pushed the rollaway table to her.

"Aww, thanks, Lord Corrin." Hana wolfed down the food; she hadn't even realized how hungry she was until now. "Wow, this stuff is delicious! Who cooked it?"

"I-uh, Kaze was on cooking duty tonight," Corrin said, shuffling his feet.

"Wow! I'll need to compliment him later." Hana continued eating and a comfortable silence settled between them, which Corrin broke when Hana had finished.

"Hey, Hana? Does your offer to listen to me still stand?"

Hana rubbed her chin in mock thought.

"Well, I _did_ say it had to be during training," she said with a glint in her eye. "But, seeing as I'm in no condition to exercise, I'll cut you some slack."

"How gracious of you," Corrin said. He took a deep breath before the words began to tumble out.

* * *

 _Ice magic shocked him from his sleep, and he sat straight up._

" _Lord Corrin! It's time to wake up," Felicia said._

" _Yes, Lord Corrin, there's a long day ahead of you," the other maid interjected. "Lord Xander is here and waiting."_

" _I-what? Flora, why's Xander here?"_

 _The scene shifted to the tower courtyard._

" _If you don't defeat me here today, Corrin, you may never leave the tower. Now come at me! You must genuinely try to kill me." Xander angled his sword and Corrin re-engaged, finally landing a blow that left Xander backpedaling, but with a grin on his face. "Very good. Now-"_

" _Wegettotakeyoutothecastle," someone yelled. Corrin smiled when he saw her, a young girl in traditional Nohrian garb wielding a healing rod. She sprinted out from the tower and leaped at him, and he spun her around as she held on, giggling._

" _Aww, Elise, you came too?"_

" _We all did! We're here to take you home!"_

 _Corrin found himself in front of King Garon, with the helpless prisoners shackled and kneeling in front of him._

" _Kill them," the voice commanded._

 _Kill? Corrin wondered if he had heard Garon correctly._

" _Kill them? Father, they're unarmed prisoners, I can't just-"_

" _You dare disobey me? Your own father?" Garon stood up, axe at the ready, but spells suddenly engulfed the Hoshidan prisoners, who each fell to the floor._

" _Forgive my brother's insolence, father." Leo brandished his tome, while Garon turned and retreated to the throne room with a grunt._

 _Now he found himself on a battlefield, Ryoma and Xander on either flank._

" _Come home with me, brother," Xander said, holding out his arm. "We can still make this right."_

" _You know what they've done, Corrin," Ryoma said, mirroring Xander's movements. "Don't let them lie to you any longer."_

 _Corrin held his head in his hands._

" _Xander how can I go back? Hans killed Gunther; Father almost killed me!"_

" _We will get to the bottom of it, I promise," Xander said. "But you must come back. Come back to the family that raised you, the family that has loved you for as long as you have known."_

" _The family that lied to you your whole life, brother," Ryoma interrupted. "The throne showed you the truth! You were taken from us, and have been living a lie your whole life."_

" _Xander...Ryoma...withdraw your troops. I've come to my decision. I…" Corrin took a deep breath. "I can't return to Nohr. I can't willingly serve Father-King Garon-anymore. I can't serve someone who orders me to kill innocents."_

" _You choose Hoshido?" Xander was incredulous. "You choose them, over us?"_

" _It isn't that simple, Xander! We don't have to fight; we can work together, to find what's wrong with King Garon. He was never this ruthless when we were children, Xander; surely, with Hoshido and Nohr working together-"_

" _Preposterous." Xander drew his sword. "If you will not come to your senses then I will force you to."_

 _Xander's horse reared up and dashed towards him. He leapt to the side, barely dodging the sword._

" _Xander, I held Queen Mikoto as she died by my hand. I was Garon's tool, to get inside Hoshido and wreak havoc. I was his tool to kill hundreds of civilians! Come to your senses, please, Xander," Corrin begged._

" _I will not allow myself to be brainwashed the way you have." Xander reared for another strike but an arrow fell in front of him._

" _Another step, Nohrian prince, and my next shot will be significantly more accurate," Yukimura said calmly._

* * *

Hana held her hands over her mouth.

"I'm...I'm so sorry. The choice you had to make...no one should ever have to." Corrin was sobbing by now, and Hana wasn't quite sure what to do. Distressed, he laid his head against her shoulder and cried into it.

"Why can't they believe me? Why doesn't _anyone_ believe me? Camilla wouldn't listen, Leo never even gave me a chance, and neither did Xander. Nor does anyone in Hoshido!" He yelled out the last part, and Hana glanced outside to see if anyone was there to hear. To her surprise, the entire Hoshidan force was there. Sakura, Azura, Hinoka, Ryoma, and Takumi were peeking through the window, jaws wide open, and all the retainers were right behind them. When they noticed Hana staring at them, they quickly dispersed.

 _What are they all slack-jawed about?_ Then she remembered Corrin was crying into her shoulder.

 _Oh. That's...going to take some explaining._

"I believe you, Lord Corrin."

"I know, but-" Corrin choked up. "I feel like I have to kill my old family to make anyone here believe me." he whimpered.

"That's not true, Lord Corrin. You said your reason for joining Hoshido was because you couldn't fight for what King Garon stood for, correct?"

He nodded tearfully.

"Then fight for what _you_ believe in. A lot of people think I train too much, or that I'm overzealous, but they eventually realize that I fight so hard because I fight for what I believe in. When I wanted to make it through the samurai dojo, I had to beat all the men. No one believed I could, except me. And so at each fight, I went in with the mentality that I was good enough to beat them, and eventually I made it to the top, despite what they thought of me. Right now you're fighting against King Garon's reign of terror. Next time you face one of your siblings, instead of hesitating and trying to reason with words, fight with conviction. Face them with the conviction that what you are fighting for is right, and they might finally see what you're trying to show them. And that applies to the Hoshidan family as well."

He wiped his nose on his sleeve after a short while.

"..You're right. But right now...I just need to cry."

"That's ok, Lord Corrin. I know how you feel." Her mind flashed back to all the times she had cried about her father to Sakura. "It's always nice to have someone to cry with."

The young prince nodded before his head dropped back down to her shoulder and she felt the tears soaking through her tunic. She gently wrapped her arms around him in an embrace, blushing furiously when he did not reject it, and she rocked him back and forth until he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! I figured it might be time to start moving forward with their relationship so that I can start focusing on other events. Also the review system was wack for a few days so I didn't see a bunch of reviews until later on!**

 **king ulfr: glad you're enjoying it, stay along for the ride! :)**

 **The Zubatman: Yeah, I just don't like Hans :/ don't worry, I've already thought of a way around his role in the later stages of the story!**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Yeah, I mean it's possible, but it'd be annoying to write around so I'll probably dedicate the epilogue to that!**

 **jin0uga: they most definitely are! I figured Selena would be pretty similar to her character in Awakening so I tried to stay true to that!**

 **Guest: So...I'm not 100% sure about where the plot is going to go right now. I'm trying to logistically work in Revelations but depending on how the story turns out, I might make it Birthright; the flow and logic of the story is more important! I tried to show that Corrin had some trouble talking to his family; he just met them after all, and the only reason he was willing to talk to Hana was because she happened to be there when he completely lost it a few chapters earlier. Thanks again for the suggestions!**

 **patattack: yeah, I felt like it was way too forced in Fates. But, Kana is a princess, so I think it'd be good to have an epilogue dedicated to her :)**

 **Gallian Squad 7: I think the thing is that the game skips over just how hard Corrin's decision is either way; either way, he has to kill people that he finds himself caring about.**

 **As always, please R &R and enjoy and don't be afraid to suggest things for me to write! **


	8. Chapter 8

Corrin gently rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He jumped a little at the sight of Hana sleeping peacefully next to him as his mind slowly recalled how he had gotten here.

He felt happier, lighter than he had before; it seemed that speaking with Hana, getting everything out, had done wonders for his mental state. Even swinging the blanket off his body felt easier than it had before. He gently extricated himself so as not to wake the sleeping samurai.

His eyes slowly ran over her sleeping form, the slow rise and fall of her body that accompanied each breath, and he knew he'd fallen for her. She'd been distrusting from the start, of course, but she was the only one outside of the royal family (barring Takumi) who'd given him a chance to explain himself, even if it was only because she was the only one who saw just how much pain he was in.

She was fun and kept him smiling, but also knew when he needed a listening ear.

 _Ah, crap. I'll probably have to ask Sakura or Hinoka what to do next._

He reached for a piece of parchment and began scribbling a brief note of thanks before leaving the room.

* * *

The soft trill of the birds announced it was morning, and Hana's eyes flitted open to the early sunlight. The harsh brightness forced her to shut them right away, and she groggily recalled the events of the last night, wondering if they were real. She opened her eyes to find she was alone in her cot once again, Corrin nowhere to be found. She saw a note on the bedside table and picked it up and read it.

 _Hana,_

 _Thank you so much for listening to me last night. In these hectic times, you don't know how much I needed to let go of everything I had bottled up inside, and I woke up today feeling more refreshed than I have since this whole war escalated. And it's all thanks to you._

 _If you ever need a partner for training, don't hesitate to ask me._

 _-Corrin_

 _P.S. You don't have to call me Lord Corrin all the time, you know._

Hana couldn't help the ear to ear grin that spread on her face as she lay back against the pillow with the note clutched tightly against her chest. She quickly put the note under her pillow when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said, and Sakura entered.

"Morning, Hana."

"Morning, Lady Sakura." They embraced briefly.

"How're you feeling today?" Sakura gently prodded Hana where the pain was.

"Loads better! I think I'm ready to get out of this room," she said.

"Oh, g-great!" Sakura clapped her hands. "But first…was Corrin okay yesterday? When he left us he was kind of in a huff."

"He left you guys? I think he's better now, he just had a lot on his mind. He said he was talking to you guys and then Lord Takumi set him off."

"Oh, right. Yeah, he was cooking something for you to eat when we saw him last night and T-Takumi said something about him not being able to f-finish off Camilla. Then he just s-stomped out and said he was bringing the food to you."

"Wait, he made the food? He told me Kaze did!"

* * *

"So? What happened last night?" Hinata, whose side was stitched up and bandaged, much like Oboro, asked as all eyes watched her intently.

Hana sighed.

 _Well, I guess they were going to ask sooner or later._

"Nothing. I told you guys, he was just really sad about a lot of things and needed someone to listen."

"Oh. You guys didn't...snog or anything, right?" Oboro held her hands up to her mouth. Somewhere, Saizo, hidden away, snorted at the immaturity.

"What? No! We aren't even dating or anything, Oboro!"

"Oh, okay," she said. "But if you do, can I design your wedding dress?"

"...Fine. Can we not talk about this though?" Hana could feel her body running hot, giving away her emotions as she quickly tried to change the subject, and Kaze obliged.

"I'm actually glad we all listened in...perhaps now we all have a better perspective of what Lord Corrin is going through."

There was a general nod of agreement throughout the retainers. Saizo was the first to speak up.

"After seeing how he fought at Cheve..perhaps I was wrong."

"Well, we might all have been wrong, actually," Hinata said. "But we can only change how we act towards him from now on, I guess. Hopefully he'll feel a bit more comfortable."

"Yes...I'm sure he'll enjoy that." Hana smiled inwardly.

 _Perhaps things are finally looking up for Lord Corrin._

* * *

Hana closed her eyes, visualizing Camilla's axe strikes. All things considered, Hana had never faced someone so skilled with the weapon, and there was no one in Hoshido who wielded an axe, so she was left to train herself. She knew she would likely have to face the woman again.

"Small, please. As _if_ any normal woman would have...those gigantic things! Ugh," she said. "What if Corrin likes them like that?" She glanced at her chest, which was rather smaller than Camilla's and smacked the closest tree she could find.

"Like what like that, may I ask?" Hana looked and jumped to see Sakura poke her head out from behind the tree.

"Er…" Hana blushed furiously, hoping she hadn't heard most of what she'd just said. "Um...weapons, you know? Like how Camilla had that gigantic axe?"

"Um...alright?" Corrin didn't look convinced, but Hana was relieved he chose not to push the issue. "Anyways, I offered to train with you in the note I left behind, and I was rather disappointed to find you didn't take me up on it, so here I am."

"Ah. Well…" Hana desperately tried to will the rosy hue from her cheeks. "How's a girl supposed to train with someone watching!"

"Well, why don't you take a break? I wanted to show you something before we leave Cheve tonight."

"A break? From training? You can't be serious, Lord Corrin."

"Hey, I said just Corrin is fine. How about this; I show you what I want you to see, and then we'll come back and I'll train with you? I _do_ owe you for listening to me yesterday, anyways," he said, winking. Hana considered it, before pointing her practice blade at Corrin threateningly.

"Fine. But no weaseling out of training afterwards, Lord Corrin!"

"Just Corrin, Hana."

* * *

Hana followed him through the city, ignoring the winks and suggestive looks whenever they passed by the other Hoshidans. As they seemed to enter the darker parts of the city, Hana wondered where the young prince was leading her. She was about to ask when he turned to her with a somber look on his face.

"We're here." Where, exactly, she could not tell. It was a small, dark alley, but she couldn't see anything special about it.

"Um..Lord-I mean, Corrin, where exactly are we?"

"Cheve's always been a rebel territory; on the outskirts of Nohr, it was never really Nohrian territory, which is why King Garon probably thought it was the best place to lure King Sumeragi." He sighed. "This...is where my father was killed. And where your father fell, protecting him with his life."

"I…" Hana could feel the tears welling up. "Why did you bring me here?" She tay, feeling the wetness running down her cheeks and streaming onto her neck.

"Hana…" Corrin gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought…" he took a moment before continuing. "You listened to me when we were at the Wind Tribe; you listened to me again last night. When you woke up you were dreaming about your father...I figured it was time for someone to listen to you."

"Corrin…" Hana tried to put words to her mouth but there were too many emotions going on in her head. She appreciated the gesture, but she couldn't stay. "I...just…" she turned and ran off, back towards the camp. She heard him yell at her to wait, but she couldn't; she just needed to be alone with her thoughts, and she did not look back. She ran back to where she had been training, hacking mercilessly at the tree. Chunks of bark flew from it as she hewed away, tears still flowing from her eyes and mixing with her sweat. Each slash was stronger than the one before it, as Hana's mind raced furiously to understand her feelings.

She knew Corrin's gesture touched her in a way that she had rarely felt before; it was like all those years ago when she had bonded with Sakura healing her wounds. It was just as strong, but still somewhat different, and Hana couldn't quite comprehend it.

At the same time, she had never been to Cheve after her father's death. Standing where he had been, as the life flowed out of him, she felt the pain of her childhood as if it were yesterday. The pain of tucking herself into bed each night, and of waking herself up each morning. The pain of watching other children, carried on their father's shoulders and giggling happily without a care in the world, or watching them play in the park, as she had with her father in the field of cherry blossoms, hammered her repeatedly, forcing away the joy she had found from being with Corrin.

With a cry, she slammed her blade against the tree one last time, splintering the wooden katana in two. She sunk to her knees, sobbing and alone.

* * *

Sakura's hands were on her hips, and Corrin knew she was angry because she wasn't stammering.

"How could you _do_ that to her?" Sakura yelled.

"Do what? I thought she'd-"

"Hey, I'm just going to show you where your father died. That seems like a _great idea_ , doesn't it?"

"Anything sounds bad when you put it like that," Corrin said indignantly.

"Well I don't _care_. All I know is my best friend has been sobbing in that field for who knows how long, and it's _all your fault_."

Corrin was taken aback; Sakura always seemed so meek, but the only time he had seen her anywhere near this agitated was when they had suggested she stay in Hoshido instead of helping out with the war.

"But-"

"Well, do you like her?" Hinoka interjected, blunt as usual.

"I-what?"

"If you do, she's got a rough boat ride back to Hoshido coming up. I'd suggest a way to get in her good graces would be to try to undo some of the damage you've done." Without waiting for an answer, Hinoka and Sakura left the room. In the corner, Ryoma, who had been watching, chuckled lightly.

"Women, huh? I'd take their advice if I were you, though. It's about a two day trip back to Hoshido, so you'll have plenty of time to fix things up."

"Thanks, Ryoma. But how do I fix things?"

"Ah, that's something you'll have to figure out. But if you do, I can get you a seat at the most romantic restaurant in town," Ryoma said, winking.

"...I'd rather not see you and Scarlet there," Corrin shot back.

Ryoma's face turned the shade of his armor, and Corrin thought he heard Takumi snort.

* * *

 **No action in this one, sorry! I wanted to use this chapter to set up the relationship, which I wanted to establish around now; I feel like waiting too long will cause the story to be a bit disjointed.**

 **At this point, both Hana and Corrin have accepted their feelings; they just don't know if the feelings are reciprocated and they're not really sure how to deal with it since it's the first time for both of them, and that causes a lot of emotional stress, which I tried to capture here. Hope you guys can get some of it! Also sorry to leave without putting them together; that should happen next chapter :) I just thought if I tried to tie it in here, it would make this chapter WAYYYY too long.**

 **Also, sorry this update was a bit slower. The past two weeks have been pretty hectic; I happened to be very lucky and accepted into medical school last Wednesday, so...:) so the past week has been a lot of celebrating with friends.**

 **Cyberchao X: Yay! Love to see someone else who loves Hana's character as much as I do :)**

 **Guest: Definitely agree with you about the lack of development. While I would like to save Xander and Elise, I can't promise that there won't be major characters being killed off (I know, I will have to inevitably apologize when someone's favorite character dies). I just don't think it's realistic for there to be no casualties, and losing major characters that Corrin cares a lot about is the most effective way to drive home just how important and divisive his choice of sides is. That being said, I think your idea is great; but at the end of Birthright, Xander hints that even if he were to believe Corrin, his duty as Crown Prince of Nohr requires that he defend it regardless of his own personal beliefs, so that could be something I could use to have your suggestion yet still have Xander fight to the death. Anyways, that's at least 3-4 chapters away, so we'll see which direction I go! :)**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Er...sorry? *ducks the heavy object tossed towards me**

 **patattack: glad you enjoyed it! sorry, a little less humor in this one as I'm setting up the romance XD**

 **jin0uga: well, there's going to be a lot of feels in the next chapter :) promise!**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Glad I could help you with that test in some way :D hope it went well. I'll try to put some flirty sparring in for you somewhere next chapter ;)**

 **As always, please R &R, and enjoy! **


	9. Chapter 9

Now that Cheve was secured, they were able to make use of its port to catch a ship back to Hoshido, a much more relaxing, albeit slower, method of travel.

Hana sat alone in her cabin. Since the trip started the night before, she hadn't spoken to anyone, leaving the door locked. Sakura had tried to come by, but she had ignored the knocks on the door. She was too embarrassed to let anyone see her.

Not that she cared about how she looked; she was embarrassed that after all those years, she still hadn't been able to get past the loss of her father. She was supposed to be strong, one of the best warriors in the group, but she was so weak. What if everyone knew that even the pure mention of her father could set her into tears?

 _No, I can't let anyone see me until I've calmed down. Much less Sakura; I'd just make her worry even more if she saw me like this, and I can't have that. It's bad enough that I'm worrying her already._

She sniffled and wiped her tears on her blanket, before diving face first into her pillow, both of which were damp. She'd always felt like there was a package of emotions after her father's death that she tried to put away, the pressure building inside every day she was alone. Now, Corrin showing her where her father had died had poked a hole in the box, and everything was rushing out.

She wondered if it would ever empty, and if it did, would it slowly fill again? Would she never be able to move on completely?

A light knock on the door caught her ears, but she ignored it.

 _Probably Lady Sakura again. I'll apologize to her later._

"Hana? I know you're in there," a familiar voice said. "I'm not leaving until you open this door."

"Lord Corrin, I just need to be alone." She didn't budge from her mattress. "Please, just leave me be."

"Hana, I said I'm not leaving. Just let me know when you're okay with me coming in."

An awkward silence lapsed between them, and Hana simply lay back on her mattress and tried to sleep.

* * *

Corrin heard light snoring and sighed softly.

 _She's certainly not making this easy on me._ He was trying to piece together how she felt, so that he would not make another misstep, but he couldn't quite figure it out. She didn't seem angry with him; it was more a sense of unbearable sadness that he felt emanating from her, but she was rebuffing anyone and everyone's attempts to ease it.

As he mulled over many options on how to approach her, the sunlight slowly shifted to a blazing orange, before giving way to the wispy lights of the evening.

"Any luck?" Corrin heard Sakura's worried voice around the corner.

"No, I think she cried herself to sleep." Corrin leaned his head back against the locked door.

"Are you s-sure you don't want me to stay? You look e-exhausted," Sakura said.

"No, this is something I need to do. It's my fault she's this upset; I shouldn't have brought up her father before she was ready to talk about it with me."

 _Why was I so stupid?_

"Don't b-beat yourself up about it, big brother. You had the right idea, and she r-really does like you a lot; I'm sure she'll be willing to forgive you. Do you want me to bring you dinner or something?"

"Sure, thanks, Sakura. Can you bring something for Hana too? I don't think she's eaten either."

"Yeah, of course! I think there should be some leftovers I can heat up, I'll be back in a bit!" Sakura dashed off.

* * *

"Hana, come on." Corrin knocked again to no response. "You haven't eaten all day, and I have your dinner here. What was that you told me last time? It's in your best interest to at least get something down."

"Fine." Hana sighed at her own words being used at her, but he had a point. She was quite hungry, anyways. She looked in the mirror and groaned. Her eyes were red and dry from crying, and the skin around was raw from rubbing. Grimy tear tracks stained both her cheeks and her hair, usually neatly held back with her headband, was disheveled.

 _Wait, since when did I care so much about how I looked?_ Shaking her head, she went to open the door. Sure enough, Corrin was standing there in the doorway, holding a plate of steaming rice.

"Hana, you look terrible," he said. She rolled her eyes; he definitely wasn't getting any brownie points for _that_ greeting.

"Gee, thanks, Corrin, you look _absolutely stunning_ yourself." She turned and slumped back onto her bed. Corrin laid the tray on a desk, and Hana felt a twinge of disappointment when he parked himself on the chair rather than next to her on the bed.

"Hana...I know it's all my fault, and I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but why won't you at least talk to Sakura?"

Hana covered her eyes as they began to sting again.

"I don't want her to see me like this; if she did, she'd only get even more worried, and I don't want to be a source of that for her."

Corrin only shook his head.

"Hana, that's very noble of you, but seeing you like this is worrying her more than if you were to speak to her. She-we all just want to be here for you to lean on, you know? You don't have to worry about sharing your burden with me or Lady Sakura; in fact, we _want_ you to."

"I can't do that, Lord Corrin. I…" The tears began to flow, unbidden. "What kind of retainer am I, still unable to get over my father's death after all these years? I'm being selfish and putting my own feelings before my service to Lady Sakura. I thought I had put it behind me, but I haven't...I'm mentally weak, and unfit to serve. And so I must train my mental fortitude, by shouldering this load alone."

He smiled gently, almost knowingly; she was beginning to be unnerved by just how in-stride he seemed to be taking it all.

"Hana, you can't shoulder everything alone; no one can. You'll just be crushed by the weight of it all. I know I was, until you listened to me, so let me return the favor."

Hana shook her head vehemently, as much as she wanted to give in.

 _I can't drag anyone else with me._

"I appreciate the gesture, Lord Corrin, but it's different. My job as a retainer is to serve those above me, whether it's Lady Sakura or someone else in the royal family, not to give them something else to worry about." The tears stung hot in her eyes but she knew she couldn't ask for his help.

"Hana, there's nothing wrong with relying on others." He got up from the seat and sat next to her. "If you change your mind, just knock on my door." He awkwardly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a brief, but tight, squeeze with one hand, before getting up and leaving.

Hana's shoulder tingled where his hand had wrapped around, and she placed her own shaking hand over it. She'd felt something in that quick squeeze, something she didn't dare believe and which made her want to take him up on his offer.

"Wait!" She ran out into the hallway and saw him turn. "Lord-I mean, Corrin," she said, with a small, tight smile. "You never told me where your cabin was. How am I supposed to find you if I don't know where you'll be?" Without waiting for a response, she barreled on.

"Tomorrow evening. Meet me on the deck."

She didn't dare wait for an answer, instead ducking back into her room.

Her shoulders already felt lighter at the promise of relief, and she hurriedly tried to fall asleep, so that tomorrow would come sooner.

* * *

Hana rushed towards the shower, mindful of the fact that she hadn't done so in quite a few days.

 _It wouldn't do to scare him off with how bad I smell,_ she thought with a wry smile as she lathered soap over her tired body. With the water massaging her, she let her mind drift.

She loved how he made her feel comfortable enough to open up around him; she wondered if he made everyone feel so welcomed, so trusting.

 _He probably does,_ she thought with a pang of jealousy. _He's probably just like this to everyone,_ she told herself, trying to downplay the emotions she thought she had sensed the night before.

 _He's just being a good friend, and taking some of the weight off my shoulders. Nothing more, nothing less._ She shook her head as her mind began to wander, and a voice in her head whispered hopeful thoughts into her head that she blocked out.

She switched the water off and wrapped herself in her towel, carefully drying off and walking back to her room. With a sigh she opened up her duffel bag, regretting not bringing at least something nice; she'd only brought her pink uniform she wore every day.

All changed, she packed everything back into her bag and brushed her teeth. She checked her hair one more time in the mirror before dashing out the door towards the deck.

"You're late," a voice said. She followed it to a figure leaning over the ship's railing.

"Yeah...sorry." She walked over and leaned over the railing next to him.

"No duel today? Usually that precedes our talks," he said with a smirk. She slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"I figured you'd had your butt kicked enough."

"Beat you yesterday."

"Doesn't count. I was in emotional distress"

"Hm, I thought real samurai don't make excuses?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Very classy. Anyways, I brought us some dinner."

"Oh, did _Kaze_ make this too?" Hana winked at him slyly.

"Was I that obvious?"

"Preeeety obvious. But I wasn't lying when I said the food was good!"

"Well, it's all we have, so you better enjoy it," he said, pointing his chopsticks at her threateningly. They stopped talking to dig into their food.

"You know, you're pretty lousy at swordplay, but your cooking is amazing. Maybe you should switch careers," Hana teased.

"Har har."

A cool night breeze drifted over them, and Hana shivered, hugging her chest.

 _Oof, I should have brought a cloak._

"Cold," Corrin asked, as if reading her mind. "Here." He unfastened his cloak and got up to wrap it around her.

"T-thanks," Hana managed to chatter out through her teeth. She turned her head up to the sky, remembering back to when she used to look at the stars with her father, and she noticed Corrin following her eyes skywards.

"As a bodyguard, my father always had night patrol. He used to sometimes sneak me out with him to look at the stars, but...I've never seen such a clear sky before." She had a look of pure wonder on her face.

"Back in Nohr, there always seemed to be a layer of darkness that covered the sky."

"What? So you've never seen stars?" Hana was incredulous.

"Well, I read about them, and saw pictures, but I could never see them out of my tower window."

"Thats ridic-oh!" A brilliant flash of light lit up the sky. "Did you see that?" Corrin nodded. "That's a shooting star. Legend is that you make a wish if you see one and it'll come true, since they're super rare. Oh!" Another streaked across the sky. "Wow, two in one night…" She closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making my wish. Hush up and make yours!"

"Nah. I think I've got everything I want here." When Hana opened her eyes, she found his staring into hers.

"Corrin…" she tentatively reached a hand out from the cloak and closer to his. Her eyes widened as he slipped his hand into hers, their fingers interlocking. "R-really?"

He grinned, embarrassed, before the words began tumbling out.

"You've really been the only person willing to listen to everything I've had to dump out. You're probably my only real friend outside of the royal family...and watching you in battle, your desire to defend your comrades...I wished that one day, you'd defend me just as zealously." He paused, pulling her closer to his chest while she wrapped her hands around his neck, something she had been wanting to do for days now.

"And then, you did. You took that spell that was meant for me, and I was terrified that I'd lost you before I could have a chance to tell you how I felt."

"But then why didn't you tell me afterwards?"

"Eh, I had my breakdown, remember?" She nodded. "But I was going to tell you when I took you to where your father was slain."

"...Corrin, come on. Some advice: don't confess to a girl at the place where her father was murdered." She lightly tapped his chin in admonishment.

"Yeah, well, that went about as well as Felicia cooking. And now we're here."

"Mhm…" Hana snuggled against his chest. "Just being around you made me feel so much better, you know that, Corrin? And now…geez, this is so embarrassing!"

"Hah, right?" He ran a hand through her hair, and she longed for him to do it again. Her emotions were a tangled mess of differing desires, all having to do with Corrin's touch.

"But...I've never felt this way before, about anyone. I wanted to be with you..and when we were together, I didn't have a care in the world. It's the first time I've been willing to forgo training for something."

Without realizing what she was doing, she stood on the tips of her toes and quickly kissed his cheek before whispering into his ear.

"Well, my wish came true. We're going to be the best couple in the world."

* * *

 **Yay, an update! Took me a bit longer because I wanted to get the whole Hana/Corrin getting together as accurate as I could. I think both Corrin and Hana are pretty straightforward people, which is why they got to the core of "oh, well, I like you" pretty quickly and without too much angst, as is usual for first relationships. So, hope you guys enjoyed it! Action will be back in the next chapter :) Also I decided to use the shooting stars because there was a meteor shower on one of the nights I was writing this.**

 **Cyberchao X: Hm, I feel like the retainers all have a lot of potential but the game just doesn't try very hard to expand on it beyond the character trope each retainer represents.**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Heh, yeah, they're meant to be together. Also, woops. You got me. hopefully I didn't make any mistakes like that in this chapter...**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Thank you! It's been a long grind, but I can finally say (in 4 years' time) trust me, I'm a doctor. Also, I'll make an epilogue w/ Kana. Promise. If I forget, you can quote me on this. And don't worry about Selena, as a Cordelia fan there's no way she's dying. She might get absolutely wrecked by Hana in a fight though.**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Haha, there pretty much always is. But I decided to give Hana and Corrin some privacy this time, as it's a sweet moment that I think they'd both savor after all they've been through. Also, yeah, I'm sorry, it probably just slipped through when I was editing. thanks for catching that mistake!**

 **jin0uga: yeap. but as the cliché goes, it's always darkest before the dawn, hence this chapter! it's like Mayor Lionheart in Zootopia when he says he was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons xD hope this chapter met your expectations!**

 **Guest: That's an interesting idea that would definitely work! Although I can't say how much of it I will use right now, so that there aren't any spoilers :P But I think at least one Nohrian royal is going to have to die :( not sure if it's a noble death or not yet, though.**

 **As always, please R &R, and enjoy! :D **


	10. Chapter 10

Hana couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy. Corrin had promised they would go on their first date when they returned to Hoshido, and with the Ghost Festival coming up, she couldn't wait to show him through one of Hoshido's most famous holidays.

To top it all off, she'd managed to sneak away with his cloak, which she hugged tightly to her chest as she navigated her way to the deck for her morning training.

"I see you forgot to return my cloak," a familiar voice chuckled as she climbed the steps. She pouted, jutting out her lower lip in a way she hadn't since she was a child.

 _I feel like a child again,_ she thought for a moment.

"I was cold! You wouldn't want a girl freezing, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't, especially not my girlfriend." Hana felt her face steaming at the word.

"A-ah…" Her brain worked furiously to form a response but failed, so she settled for an embrace. "Then can I keep the cloak?"

"Hm...we can duel for it. Winner keeps it; we need a rubber match anyways."

"No, I'm winning, 1-0. That second one still doesn't count."

"Fine, best out of three."

"Deal. I'm not letting you win this time!"

They drew their wooden blades and began to hack away. Hana noticed that Corrin's defenses were lax today, although she was aware that hers were also due to, well, distractions.

"You know, Corrin, I could have won like ten times already."

"Oh? Then why didn't you?" He stuck his tongue out, and she punished his momentary lapse with a quick slap to the side with the flat of her blade.

"Hehe."

"Why, you little cheater!" He dropped the sword and tapped the stone on his chest, transforming into a dragon.

"W-what! You can't-ack!" The dragon swept her up in his feet, carefully placing her away from the sharp end of his claws before pinning her against a wall. "Okay! Okay! You win!"

The dragon quickly morphed back into a smirking prince.

"If you say so," he said, shrugging. "Now, are we still going with loser has to get food?" Hana crossed her arms and turned away.

"Fine."

"Thanks a ton," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her and squeezing. She leaned back into his chest and covered her arms with hers. She was just about to turn in his arms to face him when she noticed an odd shimmer on the other side of the deck.

"Hang on, did you see that?" Corrin nodded and retracted his arms, drawing the Yato as Hana did the same with her katana.

"Right there," he said, pointing towards another flicker. It seemed to be a dark purple tinge, and it was getting closer. The two stood back to back, wary of what it could be.

Suddenly it materialized in front of Hana, who deftly shifted her blade and blocked the shadow's blade. She got a good look at it and was terrified.

It looked like a Hoshidan soldier, but its "skin" was a deep purple, and its eyes blood red and soulless. It flickered in and out of existence, leaving only a violet outline for her to track.

After the moment's shock, Hana regained her senses, fighting off the odd invader. She managed to land a slash deep into its shoulder, and it disintegrated without a sound into purple smoke. Panting, she glanced back at Corrin, who was dispatching another similar enemy. They looked at each other with the same question.

"What was _that?_ "

* * *

"Anyone have an idea?" The whole crew was assembled at the shore, having just disembarked. Hana and Corrin had decided it would be best to alert everyone of what they had seen as soon as possible, and Corrin led the discussion. Everyone shook their heads, which didn't surprise Hana.

The things seemed to be something out of a nightmare.

"Well, keep an eye out; they're difficult to spot, and much more skilled than anything we've fought before." Corrin said, ending the discussion. "I did try," he said to Hana.

"Yeah, I didn't expect anyone to know anything about them," she said. "Oh well," she said. "We'll just have to keep an eye out; maybe Yukimura will know something?"

"Perhaps; I'll have to ask him when we all meet. I hope Hoshido hasn't fared too badly in our absence. Oh, you should attend our meeting as well; you were the only other one who saw the invaders, too."

Hana nodded.

"Of course. Are you sure you're not just inviting me there because you'll miss me," she said, eyes twinkling.

"Hmm…" Corrin stroked his chin. "Just a tiny bit," he grinned as he wrapped her into a brief hug. She squeezed him tightly back. There was a retching sound behind them and they both turned, surprised, to see a pair of redheaded girls watching them.

"Ugh, watching you guys flirt is _disgusting_ ," Hinoka said, shaking her head. "C'mon, Sakura. Let's get out of here, before I puke." Sakura shook her head at them before following her sister, who had dashed away.

Hana turned back and leaned her face against Corrin's chest.

"Now everyone's going to know…" she looked up, meeting his eyes. "You don't mind, right?"

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, something Hana was beginning to love.

"Why wouldn't I want people to know I have a beautiful girlfriend?"

Hana was slightly worried her burning face would singe a hole through Corrin's shirt.

* * *

Yukimura pushed his glasses up his nose, deep in thought.

"Are you _absolutely_ sure they appeared Hoshidan," he asked. Hana nodded.

"The one I battled was dressed in Hoshidan samurai robes," she said.

"Hm...never have I come across anything that sounds remotely similar in our volumes, but I-"

"Excuse me, Yukimura." Everyone's attention turned to Azura, who had interrupted. "I believe...I know who the intruders are."

"Ah, excellent. Would you care to explain, Lady Azura?" Hana eagerly waited for her to respond, being quite curious herself.

 _An enemy no one's heard of...that's going to be something interesting to train for tomorrow morning._

"I would like to...but I cannot." A murmur of surprise from the table was everyone's reply.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Hinoka asked.

"I simply cannot. In order to prove myself, I request that we all be present at the Bottomless Canyon when the skies shift."

"...And we are to head straight back to battle? We've had nary a day to rest; to get to the Bottomless Canyon by the time the skies shift, we must leave tomorrow." Takumi's arms were folded and he leered at Azura. "Even better, you can't give us any _proof._ " He snorted.

Hana ran the events in her head. She herself had no reason to distrust Azura; the songstress had fought valiantly alongside them and had always been there to rally the troops' spirits. Although, she had to admit, this was awfully suspicious.

"I say we should go," Corrin said, standing abruptly. Takumi leapt out of his chair, snarling.

"Of course you would; you and Azura are the outsiders here, of _course_ you'd agree on a plan," he hissed.

"Takumi! Calm yourself," Ryoma said sternly. "We can rest as much as we want when this war is over. For now, these new...enemies...pose a great challenge. Any chance to learn more about them, I believe we should take." Before Takumi could protest, Ryoma held up a hand. "We will not go unprepared. Hinoka can lead a group of scouts who can make sure the Canyon is not a trap, and we will be armed to the teeth."

Takumi dropped back into his chair with a grunt, and a round of assent greeted Ryoma's words.

* * *

"Are you sure about this," Hana asked as she adjusted her headband. "Something just...doesn't seem right."

"I trust Azura completely," Corrin said without hesitation. "She has made great sacrifices for Hoshido already; I have no reason to believe she is a traitor."

"If you're sure," Hana said, resigning her attempt to reason with him. She knew better than to argue with him when his mind was made up, especially when it came to trusting others.

 _Oh well. That's why it's my job to protect him,_ she thought with a satisfied grin.

They leaned back against a tree, drinking in the night sky and enjoying the rare respite. Hana leaned her head against his shoulder and exhaled deeply. "You know...while I love training and all, I might like this even more."

He leaned his head against hers in lieu of a reply, and they gently dozed off together.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long delay; life's been super busy, what with thanksgiving and all the holidays coming up. This one's a bit short as I wanted to get an update out for you guys! You can kind of see how I'm going to make my way into the revelations timeline, but I'm not sure which parts of it I want to put in and I'm still working on the best way to tie in the Nohrians w/o dragging the story out.**

 **GENERAL PSA TO THOSE UNSATISFIED WITH THE FACT THAT HANA BEAT SEVERA: I want you guys to realize that Hana is perhaps the finest samurai in the region bar Ryoma; it's not completely outlandish that she can beat Severa in a 1v1 duel. Yes, Severa survived the apocalypse and has fought in countless wars; does that really make her a better fighter? Cordelia was the prodigy, not Severa, although Severa is an incredibly capable swordswoman in her own right. But Hana has been _so_ good that Hoshido (which is based on feudal Japan, a patriarchal society) has been forced to acknowledge the skills of a female samurai (in feudal Japan, women could become samurai but men were still able to give them orders regardless). Essentially, we have two incredibly skilled swordswomen and the ensuing duel could go either way. I thought I made the fight seem fair, and didn't expect that much pushback, but these are my reasons. Please stop acting like Severa is some sort of godlike swordswoman against whom Hana should have no chance; that just isn't realistic at all. Could Severa have won? Sure, but it's not like she would have just wiped the floor with Hana. **

**Guest 1: ^please refer to statement above. Experience alone does not a good swordsman make.**

 **Guest 2: I definitely agree that a lot of the story potential was wasted, but I think a large part of that is due to having almost too many characters introduced too quickly. A smaller, more focused cast would have definitely worked out really well. Also the children were...completely out of place.**

 **Part 1: If you really do feel that way, I can change the rating. I based my rating on whether or not I could see this story happening in a show on Cartoon Network or one of those TV channels I watched as a child, and I haven't seen anything that would be inappropriate.**

 **Aquawaves: Glad to have you back! I have also taken a mini-hiatus...but I am back now! Glad I could get you through that flight with this story :) I actually didn't even remember that line, had to go back and look for it..but I totally agree with you! Yeah, Hana's pretty sarcastic...I think I ended up making her a little more sassy than I initially planned, oops! A little bit of my own personality in her I guess. I definitely think Corrin is malleable, almost...too much. He has no real personality in the game IMO...but I guess that works because we can see him as an extension of ourselves in the games?**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Yeah, I could have had people eavesdropping, but that's so typical and standard, and Hana and Corrin have been through a lot, so they deserved this little moment alone :) of course, knowing people, _someone_ probably was peeking in on them. **

**yup: refer to the statement above. you don't have any points defending Severa's objective _skill_ with a sword other than the fact that she survived an apocalypse. She also didn't get "werked", it was a fair, extended fight where both fought to the extent of their abilities. **

**The Zubatman: Yeah, but I've always like a guy who can cook. Sue me. :P Well, he probably thought he could help provide her with closure; she just had a battle at his dying place which they won, almost like taking revenge for what happened there the last time, so it'd be cathartic for her to go to his site afterwards.**

 **Aust Sakura Kyzor: Oh dear. No, they did not do things. That comes later ;)**

 **Guest 3: So I'm actually working on a way where no one would have to die (although people would be close to/possibly crippled). We'll see! True, she'd find it very weird. I'll tackle that when I get there...**

 **As always, please R &R and enjoy!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Tell us all about it! And don't leave out any details," Sakura said, grinning ear to ear. The other girls nodded in agreement, all eyes turned towards Hana.

"C'mon, we all _knew_ you two were going to get together, but none of us knew it'd be this soon!" Oboro grinned.

Hana sighed, knowing there was no way out of this.

"Do not worry. I will keep watch for any eavesdroppers," Kagero said, positioning herself by the door with a serious look.

"Well, I guess it started back when-" Hana was interrupted by a knock and yelped, covering her mouth. Kagero's eyes narrowed at the door.

"Who goes there," she said. "This is a meeting of utmost privacy."

"Ah, my apologies. Was this not where we were invited to hear of the love story?" Azura's familiar dreamy voice wafted in, and Kagero relaxed, unlocking the door.

"Wait, how many people did you guys invite?!"

* * *

To Hana's relief, only Orochi was added to the initial group of retainers. Of course, it was Orochi who was needling her the most as well.

"You _actually_ said that? Wow, you already sound like one of those cheap romance novels they have the kids read," she said, as the other girls followed her snickering.

"Well, I couldn't think of anything else to say! He took me completely by surprise!"

"Oh come _on_ , he was giving you signs for days, Hana. I was about to go slap some sense into you if you didn't start getting it soon," Hinoka said. "So did you guys smooch yet?"

"H-Hinoka!" Hana stammered. "It's been, what, two days!"

"Judging by your face, though, you'd _like_ to, wouldn't you?" Sakura added with a giggle that was shared by the group as they all figured out how they could poke fun at her.

Hana groaned.

 _It's going to be a long night._

* * *

"Ugh." Hana turned over and drew the covers over her head. The interrogation had lasted deep into the night, and she'd slept well past when she usually arose.

 _Father probably would have scolded me for skipping training today,_ she thought as she reluctantly swung her legs out of bed and onto the floor. She walked to the calendar and marked an X on her map, looking back for the last day she had missed. She sighed.

"Damn, almost hit 100 days in a row," she muttered. She turned on the shower and brushed her teeth as she waited for the water to warm.

 _I wonder if I'll have any time to spend with Corrin before we head out on the march,_ she thought with a grin. _Ooh, he doesn't know anywhere around here, so I'll have to show him around._ She excitedly began planning, forgetting that she'd left the water on until the mirror began to fog in front of her.

"Woops," she said, quickly rinsing her mouth and stepping into steaming water.

 _Hmm, maybe we could grab breakfast? And we could eat out by the trees, like I used to with Father,_ she thought, her mind made up. Quickly drying herself, she instinctively reached for her uniform.

 _Hm, maybe I should wear something nicer if I'm going to be taking him out?_ She blushed as she reached into her wardrobe, having forgotten most of the other clothes she had in there.

"This won't do…" she realized all her nicer clothes were well too small; she hadn't needed to purchase any for years since as a retainer, even when attending royal affairs she was in uniform and on guard.

 _I hope he likes me in uniform then…_

She sighed and pulled it on when a knock resonated from her door.

"Who is it?"

"H-hana! We're supposed to b-be marching to the C-canyon soon!"

"Wah! So early?" Hana pouted a bit. "Alright, I'm coming, Lady Sakura."

"W-what's with the pout? W-were you going to spend time with Corrin?"

Hana's reply was to jut her lower lip a bit further.

 _Of all the times to fall in love, I had to choose the middle of a stupid war._

* * *

The trip to the Bottomless Canyon was largely uneventful; marches were steady and scouts had nothing to report ahead.

Although they had little time to chat during marches, Hana was eager to learn more about Corrin. She asked Felicia for stories from Corrin's past, even developing a rapport with the young maid as they talked about their experiences serving retainers. Hana felt a bit guilty as Felicia seemed to be quite attached to Corrin, but she didn't notice any obvious resentment from her.

But what Hana looked forward to were the nights, once marching had been called off and the tents were pitched. That was when she could spend time with Corrin, swapping stories from their past and learning more about each other. Hana also enjoyed revealing some of the embarrassing stories that Felicia told her, like when he'd walked into the wrong bathroom the first time they took him to a public outing. She told him of growing up in the samurai dojo, and how she first met Sakura and how they became such good friends. He told her of his upbringing in the castle, sheltered and hidden away, but quite privileged. She found herself enamored by his innocence, which reminded her of the days when she would run around the grove of cherry blossoms without a fear.

But tonight was different. Both were all business, as they would reach the Bottomless Canyon the next day, and after that, no one knew what to expect. Azura had stuck to her guns, flatly refusing any more detail.

"You still don't find it even a _little_ bit sketchy?" Hana asked, incredulous.

"No," Corrin answered flatly. "Anyways, we're already all the way out here. Might as well try it out."

"Yeah," Hana grunted, "unless she tells us to jump into the canyon, right?" Hana chuckled but noticed that Corrin's face had turned paper white. "Corrin...we're not jumping into that canyon, are we?"

"Er…she may have mentioned something about that?"

Hana sighed.

 _Of course she did._

* * *

Day had barely broken when Hana was back to business, beginning her routine. She tried to envision the odd, phantasmal being she'd seen on the ship, shifting her weight fluidly to stay balanced, always seeking an angle of attack.

 _Don't force the issue_ , she remembered from her teachings. _A good swordsman will make few mistakes; the best will make you pay for one._

 _Who knows what's going to be down there,_ Hana thought with a shudder.

* * *

 **Yes, I know, I'm terrible and slow at updating. Sorry :(**

 **Short chapter again, this one serves more as a bridge to what's going to happen at the Bottomless Canyon, which is going to be pretty significant (read: long chapter incoming), so I didn't want to inundate you all with words before that chapter.**

 **Guest: Who knows, I may be planning to throw you for a loop ;) sorry that the last couple chapters have been filler, they've kind of been there to touch on how Corrin and Hana sneak moments together in the middle of the war and connecting to the big conclusion.**

 **Yup: So..I'm not 100% sure what you're saying; could you fix up the grammar? Also, Hana's been training all her life and battling; the Hoshido/Nohr conflict has been going on pretty much her whole life, so she has a good amount of experience as well. We don't know how long Severa's been in this universe, so it's hard to say that she's had definitively more experience than Hana has. I haven't necessarily "cast aside" the Awakening trio, they just haven't played a role because this story is focused on the Hoshido kingdom.**

 **Guest: Maybe? I'm not really planning on focusing on other relationships, rather i'll just be mentioning them in passing (like ryomaxscarlet)**

 **Zubatman: Glad you liked it :) Not going to lie, I wasn't expecting it and it surprised me. I thought I made it clear that they were quite evenly matched and Hana only found an opening when Severa's emotions got the better of her and she went for an all-out attack, which makes sense to me (at least in my understanding of the characters).**

 **Peri the bloody retainer: Conquest is great too! Glad you're enjoying the ride so far :)**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Tbh, I think all the characters are a bit one-dimensional, and I wasn't a big fan of Hinoka in the first place, so...sue me. All I got from her is that she's an overprotective, verbally a bit crude but overall nice older sister/princess? Thanks for agreeing with me too :)**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Glad you liked it! I figured it would be the last chapter where I could work in some cute interaction before the ending really starts to kick in, since I don't want this to extend on for too long.**

 **As always, please R &R, and don't hate me for being slow at updating!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Well that can't be good." A mutter ran through the group. Hinoka had just announced that Nohrian forces were awaiting them at the Canyon, and not just any forces: the royals, along with their retainers, were the only ones there.

"Seems they knew we were coming," Takumi hissed while glaring at Azura and Corrin. "Lure us away, convince us to not bring the bulk of the army, so we can fall right into their trap."

"On the bright side, they left behind any reinforcements as well. It seems they want to decide this war here," Hinoka said. Before Takumi could interject, Ryoma stepped forward.

"The solution is clear. There is one way forward, and one obstacle in our way." He moved a marker forward on the map.

"We will not back down."

* * *

Hana gripped her katana tightly, scanning the Canyon for the familiar red-haired girl.

 _I'm going to beat that brat again,_ she thought with a terse smile. Ryoma stepped forward, crackling Raijinto pointed forward.

"Crown prince of Nohr! I challenge you to single combat!" His voice echoed across the canyon walls, and were answered by a horse whinnying as it strode forward.

A tall, blonde man dismounted.

"Let it begin." He drew his sword, a long, ornate blade which had a core of pulsating darkness, and the two leaders dashed towards each other as their respective forces followed suit. The sound of metal rang through the air as the sides clashed with years of pent-up rage and true hatred.

Hana found herself clashing against an axe-wielding woman whose dress certainly did _not_ match her aggression. The girl swung with inhuman strength and had an almost crazed look on her face with her tongue out to one side, but was dressed in clean white linens, complete with a pristine bow-tie. Hana's katana and own agility was a plus, but she knew just one strike from the axe would be enough. She dodged and parried nimbly, but the risk kept her from being able to get in close enough to land a significant strike.

"Come on, I'm going to get you _eventually_ ", the girl sneered. Hana ducked under the ensuing horizontal swing and rolled, springing forwards and slamming the pommel of her katana against the girl's face.

The girl dropped her axe, blood streaming out of her nose and running down into her clothes. Hana held her blade against the girl's throat.

"Please!" The girl gasped. "D-don't…"

Hana ignored her, and the katana drew blood.

"P-please...my parents...they rely on me…" Hana stopped for a second before narrowing her eyes.

"Prove it," she spat, unconvinced. The girl gestured towards her breasts, and Hana sighed.

 _What is it with Nohrians and not covering up?_

Keeping her dominant arm pressing the katana against the girl's throat, Hana found a slip of paper. She recognized it as a pay stub, and noted the handwritten notes on the bottom.

 _To: Mom and Dad._

Hana sighed, before lifting her blade.

"T-thank you…" The girl was incredulous, until Hana slammed her pommel into her forehead, knocking her out. Hana hurriedly tossed the girl's axe into the canyon, lest she wake up, before scanning the battlefield. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed familiar red curls.

Selena was battling Rinkah, and having quite an easy time of it; Hana felt as if she was watching her own battle that she had just completed.

 _I need to step in before it gets worse; Nohrians don't show mercy._

"Selena!" Hana yelled, trying to get the girl's attention. The redhead turned and smarled; no further words were necessary.

Hana braced herself as she brought her katana to a guard stance. Selena leapt towards her, and sparks crackled as their blades met.

"Ready to get beat again?" Hana said with a grin.

"In your dreams!" Selena pushed her back and Hana jumped backwards into a ready stance. She stuck out a hand, goading Selena on. The girl dashed forward, blade angled, and the battle began.

Hana was dimly aware of the battles going on around her, but she knew that to take more than a peripheral glance would cost her life against a swordswoman as skilled as Selena. The two clashed on and on, the sounds of steel clashing against steel ringing throughout the canyon. Mild blows were traded, small slaps with the flats of their blades, but neither could penetrate the other's defenses. No words were exchanged, only snarls and grunts as the two swung, cleaved, and stabbed at each other.

 _Gah, this isn't going to work_ , Hana thought. _I'm going to have to come up with something before she does._ Hana subtly shifted her weight backwards, inviting Selena to go on the attack, and the girl obliged, unleashing an endless torrent of slashes at the samurai. Hana cursed inwardly; she'd thought to use the same strategy, to wait for Selena to be too aggressive, but it wasn't going to work twice. She continued to parry furiously while giving ground, clenching her teeth.

 _Well, this is bad._ She knew the onslaught would have to slow eventually, that fatigue would set in and allow her a chance to launch her offensive. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the slightest drop in speed and launched her own counterattack. She pushed Selena back with her own array of strikes, and she grinned to herself as she saw the girl's defense breaking down. She knew enough about Selena to know that she would practice her attack more than her defense. As Selena's parries slowed, Hana pressed forward, sensing the end. She lifted her sword to begin the final onslaught.

Then she had the wind knocked out of her, as a throbbing ball of energy shot into her stomach, knocking her a good distance back. Her vision flashed, and she lay on the floor, disoriented. She shook her head to clear her vision, and quickly scanned the battlefield.

"Saizo! Kagero!" The two ninjas were back to back against the edge of the canyon, cornered by a blue-haired wyvern rider and a man in dark, thick guard's armor, as Hana sprinted towards them. Saizo glanced at Kagero, who nodded, closing her eyes.

" _No!"_ Hana knew what was about to happen; everyone knew about the emergency pyrotechnics Saizo kept on hand. He briefly made eye contact with her before his thumb hit a switch.

Saizo, Kagero, and their two assailants disappeared in a giant ball of flame. Hana felt tears stinging her eyes as the flame died down, leaving behind the charred corpses.

"No…" Hana groaned. She tried to get up, but her legs felt like lead, and she could only lay there and moan, defenseless.

"Well, well." Hana turned towards the voice, which oozed with disdain. "You should probably be aware of your surroundings, samurai."

"Y-you…" Hana grimaced. "I recognize you…"

"Yes, I'm sure you do, but if you need a reminder, I am the crown prince. You're lucky I haven't killed you yet...Selena wanted the pleasure to herself." He turned and motioned to someone behind him.

 _So this is how it ends…_

Selena stood over her and spat at her.

"Thank you, Lord Xander."

Hana closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. She would die with the honor befitting a samurai.

A bloodcurdling roar suddenly thundered through the air, and she felt strong gusts of wind push her into the ground. Squinting, she saw a great winged beast landing in front of her.

 _Corrin..._

The ground shook as the dragon landed, and the sides separated. The dragon transformed into the young prince.

"Stop this, Xander!"

"What do you want, little prince?" Xander pointed his sword towards Corrin. "You would protect this Hoshidan? She lost. Nohrian or not, you must agree she does not deserve to live."

"We weren't here to battle, Xander." Corrin motioned to Azura, who took a deep breath.

"We are not your enemy," Azura said, her dreamy voice washing over everyone. "The real enemy lies below...that is all I can say." Xander laughed harshly.

"That is all you can say? And you, Corrin, you _believe_ this?" Xander shook his head. "I thought we raised you to be better." He drew his sword and pointed it at Corrin. "Fight me, then. Show me the strength of your conviction. Nohr! This is a battle between the two of us only. Do not interfere." The Nohrians backed off, as the Hoshidans did the same. Corrin leaned down to pick up Hana.

"C-Corrin…" Hana mumbled. "Be safe…" He gently laid her to the ground.

"Sakura, take good care of her." Corrin turned back to face Xander and pulled the Yato out of its scabbard as everyone looked on.

* * *

 **To all Kagero/Saizo/Beruka/Benny fans: I am deeply sorry. I drew straws to see who would die from my pool of candidates...**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! Battle felt a bit scattered, but that was to try to capture the chaos of what was going on. Next chapter will be very different :)**

 **Yup: Hope this fight was more even for you; tried to paint it as Hana actually not having an advantage this time.**

 **SilverLux3264: Glad you've been enjoying and hope you will continue to! Sorry for slow updates .**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Life certainly is hectic! Prepping for med school and everything, so I've got a lot going on...also the realization of how much i'm going to borrow in student loans is...welp.**

 **As always, please R &R, and enjoy!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Hmph." Xander shrugged and marched forward, sword at the ready, and the two engaged each other once more. Sparks flew once more, and Corrin's face was twisted into a permanent grimace, seeking an opening, any opening.

"We both know how this will end, little prince," Xander said gravely. He looked almost bored. "You never have defeated me in the past."

Corrin saw his window suddenly. Xander had grown overconfident, ever so slightly, and Corrin managed to establish his first real offensive of the duel. He saw the shock in Xander's eyes as he was pushed back.

"I never had anything to fight _for_ ," Corrin hissed back as he continued his onslaught. Xander, on his back foot, parried what he could, but Corrin knew his defenses were never quite as strong. In all the years of training, Corrin could only remember a handful of times where Xander trained his defense; being such a skilled fighter, no one could establish any semblance of an attack on him. Corrin, sword whirling with confidence, soon pushed Xander back against the precipice. Xander's heels went over the edge, and he flailed for balance, dropping Siegfried into the abyss.

Corrin caught his arm, panting.

"Xander. You _have_ to listen to me."

"You've defeated me, Corrin. You know the Nohrian way. I don't deserve to live."

"Fine." Corrin let go, and Xander disappeared into the abyss. Corrin turned and saw the stricken faces of the Nohrians, the shocked faces of the Hoshidans. Without a word, he gestured to Azura. Without listening to her attempts to explain the situation without really explaining the situation, he made his way to Sakura, who was still tending to Hana.

"Hana! You all right?" Hana groaned in response, and Sakura shushed him.

"She's still resting...she got hit pretty hard." Sakura sighed. "We really have to jump into the canyon?"

"Yup."

"W-without knowing _why_?"

"Yup."

"...C-can we make the Nohrians go f-first."

Corrin finally chuckled.

"We'll see."

* * *

Hana woke with a dull pain throughout her abdomen, and groggily tried to take stock of her bearings. She was lying down, on...what, exactly?

She opened her eyes and was quite surprised to see Corrin's grinning face.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"W-what! Why are you carrying me like this?"

"Eh, we're about to jump into the Canyon. No big deal. You think you can walk on your own? I thought with all that training you wouldn't be quite so... _hefty_."

"..." Hana folded her arms and pouted. "For that, you're carrying me the whole way." She turned to glance towards the canyon. Half the people had gone; Azura was making them do the jump in pairs, one Nohrian with one Hoshidan, to prevent any "funny business", as Corrin put it when she asked him. Ryoma was there to shove anyone who didn't want to make the jump.

"Alright, Corrin, we're the last ones." Ryoma said. "I'll follow you...after I perform the last rites for Saizo and Kagero." Ryoma's eyes closed briefly, and Corrin nodded, putting Hana down gently and laying a hand on Ryoma's shoulder. The prince of Hoshido regained his composure and made his way to the corpses of his retainers.

"Well...are you ready, Hana?"

Hana gulped as she glanced into the gaping chasm; there was nothing but darkness.

"I guess...worst case is we'll die together, right?" She chuckled weakly. "Alright...I think I'm almost ready. Just...give me a couple more seconds. It's really far down there, isn't it? Corrin?" She looked at where he had been, but he was gone. "Where'd you-" She turned just in time to see Corrin bull-rushing her, and screeched as he tackled her.

Straight into the canyon.

"Corrin! I'm going to _kill_ you after this!" The walls of the canyon zoomed by, and Hana felt herself accelerating with the gravity. She hung on tightly to Corrin, while still yelling a string of threats into his ear. Corrin merely grinned back in the most aggravating way.

They continued falling, and Hana began to wonder if the fall would ever end.

 _It is the Bottomless Canyon, after all...are we just going to fall forever?_ Just after the thought, Hana suddenly felt their fall slowing, if only marginally. Air currents seemed to slowly guide them down, and as they gradually continued their fall, Hana buried her face into Corrin's chest.

 _Is this it, then?_ She braced herself for something, anything, but was stunned when her feet landed on solid ground. She opened her eyes, and gasped.

They had landed on a grassy plain, and she could see the rest of both armies laying scattered around her. She let go of Corrin and wandered towards the horizon. After a few paces, she realized they were on a floating grassy plain; clouds surrounded it, and she could see haphazard bridges leading to other, similar floating isles. Each isle appeared to be dotted with ruins, some more complete than others. Some buildings were almost intact, while some were in pieces scattered throughout the plains.

"Where...where are we?" Corrin could only shake his head in response.

"I'm not sure either. Only Azura knows, and I think she's about to tell us all." The two ran back towards where everyone had landed.

There hadn't been any fights, surprisingly. The Nohrians had been shocked to find Xander alive, and at his behest, there had been no conflict between the two since landing in the mysterious island. All eyes turned towards Azura, who had perched herself atop a rock.

"I know all of you have questions, and I will do my best to answer most of them. Where you are now is a continent known as Valla."

Puzzled looks spread through the crowds.

"Valla was mostly hidden in the past, with only the rulers of Hoshido and Nohr knowing of its existence. However, its creator is the dragon Anankos, who went mad, eventually slaying the king. Anankos then conspired to destroy the surface worlds by turning them against each other." Azura turned towards the Nohrian royal family. "You may have noticed a change in King Garon over the years…I am sorry, but the King Garon you know is long gone, twisted by Anankos' foul magic. He is nothing but a puppet now."

Azura sighed.

"Queen Mikoto of Hoshido and Queen Arete of Nohr were from this realm as well. They fled when Anankos unleashed his wrath, and, as you know, Queen Mikoto would eventually marry King Sumeragi, while Queen Arete, my mother, married King Garon."

"So why are we here, then?"

"Anankos intends to destroy humanity, starting with Nohr and Hoshido. We are here to stop him, but to do so, we need both sides to work together. Each royal family wields two legendary weapons...when the four are combined with the Yato, its wielder will have the power to slay even Anankos."

"Why couldn't you tell us this _before_ making us jump into that canyon?" Selena crossed her arms angrily.

"You must never speak of this place above ground," Azura hissed. "If you did...Anankos placed a curse, that anyone who spoke of this place would disintegrate." Azura nodded to Corrin, gesturing him to speak.

"Go on," Hana whispered. "You're the leader, now." She gently pushed him forward.

"Um…" Corrin cleared his throat. It had all happened so _quickly_ that he was having trouble comprehending the two sides _not_ being at each other's throats on sight.

 _Although, getting them to work together might be harder._

"Alright. You all heard Azura. We're fighting something more powerful than any of us can comprehend...we're all going to have to work together. Xander! Ryoma!" The princes stepped forward, arms crossed. "We need a truce between the two sides if we hope to have even a chance of defeating this enemy."

The two stepped forward and faced each other, barely concealing their contempt.

"How many of my men have you killed, Hoshidan?" Xander's blade, Siegfried, covered itself in a purple, pulsating sheath.

"I could ask you the same question." Ryoma's hand strayed down to the Raijinto, which crackled with energy. "Wait…" Ryoma's eyes narrowed, and he drew his sword out in a flash. Directly behind Xander, a previously invisible enemy fell to the floor, electricity still crawling over his body. Xander glared behind Ryoma and mirrored the samurai's movement, a dark pulse obliterating the ambusher.

"Everyone! To arms! It's an ambush!"

* * *

 **Slow update, I know. I went home for Chinese new year and didn't bring my computer with me so I could spend quality time with family. I also copped out on how they reasoned and convinced everyone to jump into the canyon; I didn't like how it was fleshed out in the game, but I felt like it would be a long, tedious, and not really necessary thing to include in this story. So it was easier to just have Hana kind of sleep through it all :P You can also kind of tell how I'm going to have the two sides begin to really trust each other with the cliffhanger here.**

 **William Alexander: :( I'm sorry! I felt like Kagero wasn't fleshed out at all, and they could have done a lot more with her relationship with Saizo as well. But then again, that applies to most characters in Fates, unfortunately.**

 **Guest: Hm, maybe! They do seem like a fun pair to put together. :D**

 **SilverLux3264: You're welcome! I actually haven't picked up fates again...:( characters just fail to pull me the way past ones have.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Yeah...student loans. I'm still figuring out how to deal with the rest of the Valla timeline without it being too rushed, but we'll see. I'm probably going to eliminate most of the in between battles and focus on the big bosses (Mikoto, Arete, Sumeragi, etc)**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Woops, sorry Ryoma! I didn't even notice they were both his retainers until you pointed it out XD Hope the duel was good, I didn't want it to take up too much space so I had to cut it short. I definitely agree that Niles is perhaps the most complex character but without the Conquest storyline I didn't feel like I could do him justice.**

 **As always, please R &R and enjoy! **


	14. Chapter 14

Hana slashed in front of her, cutting down a shimmering fighter before cut blocking a wayward sword blade. It was chaos; Corrin had called for everyone to fight back to back to eliminate any chance of surprise attacks, but quite a few weren't taking their pairings so well.

"Ugh, do you have to put on such strong _perfume?_ Even before a battle?" Hana rolled her eyes, ignoring the comment from the girl behind her.

"Can you just shut up and focus on getting out of this alive? Please?" She raised her sword to parry an uppercut, lashing a vicious kick to her assailant's groin.

"Well, if I die, I won't have to smell your disgusting perfume anyways." Selena grunted as she fought off an attacker of her own. "Say, what smell _is_ that though? Not like I'm interested…"

Hana groaned.

* * *

The ambush failed miserably; Nohrians and Hoshidans had begrudgingly worked together, much like Hana and Selena did, to ensure there were no casualties. Some minor injuries were suffered, but the enemy force was small and seemed unprepared for the two sides to work together. Hana winced as she carefully bandaged a gash on her arm.

"You alright?" She smiled wearily at Corrin's familiar voice, gently leaning backwards against his legs.

"Yeah, never better. Could have done with a different partner, though," she said with a wry grin. "Selena's...very talkative."

"Hey! You should be appreciative I bothered to save your life today."

"Apparently she's good at hearing her own name, too," Hana drawled. "How did you fare?"

"Not bad. I went dragon mode," he replied with a smirk. "Made it a lot easier, to be honest." He lowered himself to the floor and she laid her head in his lap, closing her eyes.

"We're almost done, right?" she mumbled. "Like, this is the endgame? The last bad guy?"

"Should be. Why do you ask?" Corrin's voice adopted a concerned tone; Hana hadn't given any indication that she was becoming fatigued, physically or emotionally. "You feeling okay?"

Hana turned over, eyes still closed. He saw a small smile break out as he ran a hand through her hair.

"No, I feel fine. C'mon, I'm the best samurai besides Ryoma, remember?" They both shared a laugh. "I just want us to be able to spend some time together, that's all. You know, do something together that other couples do, not just killing bad guys." When Hana turned back to face him, her eyes were glistening and red. He gently pulled her to his chest.

"I promise, we'll go-"

"Corrin!" They both sighed and stood up at the call.

"Yes?"

Ryoma and Xander had brought with them a young child.

"This child here says he knows the way to Anankos." The child was shaking, gripping onto a dull, wooden lance. Corrin laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't fear us, young one. We're here to free this land. Can you tell me your name?" The child inhaled deeply before answering.

"A-Anthony, sir. I..I escaped. There were rumors of a rebel group…"

"Escaped? From where? And how did you hear of us?" Ryoma's eyes narrowed.

"I was a servant in Lord Anankos' castle, sir. Rumors got around that outsiders had come to Valla, and were here to overthrow the King."

"Well, that's mostly correct," Corrin said. "Except we have a greater goal than just defeating Anankos. Could you lead us to him?"

The boy nodded warily.

"I'll take you near the castle, but I won't go any closer. I d-don't want to go back," he said with a shudder. Corrin laid a hand on the young boy's head and tousled his hair.

"We understand. Ryoma, Xander; let's rally the troops."

Hana grabbed Corrin's arm as the leaders dispersed.

"Are you sure we can trust him?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice, Hana. Azura hasn't been here for who knows how long; no one else knows the way."

"Hm...but what if it's a trap?"

"Well...let's hope the trap is at least set at the castle."

* * *

Hana was quite surprised to see that they were, indeed, in front of an enormous castle; she couldn't even see where it began to end.

Azura gazed wistfully at the castle which was her birthright.

"It feels so..corrupted." She shivered, backing into Corrin, who caught her, much to Hana's brief dismay. She cleared her throat loudly as he helped Azura back to her feet. "Sorry, Hana. It was an accident, I swear it," Azura hurried apologized.

Hana only humphed and turned, noticing that Anthony was slinking away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" The boy turned and grinned wickedly. "Hey!" Hana dashed after him, katana drawn, but the boy was gone. She scanned around her, but everyone was gone.

 _How is that possible? I only ran a few paces..._ what had been a castle was now a lush forest, which seemed to have isolated and surrounded her. Her grip on her katana tightened until her knuckles popped.

A purple mist gradually materialized before her, and she swung her katana through it to no avail. The mist swirled and congealed, slowly forming a human figure, then defining arms, legs, and a face Hana knew.

The person before her seemed to fade in and out of existence, much like the enemies they'd been fighting recently.

"Hana. It's so very nice to see you again." The sentence came out in a monotone.

 _But...it's his voice._

"I-how," Hana whispered. "How is this possible?"

"Hana...I'm here to help. You must trust me." His voice stayed monotonous.

Hana shook her head angrily and wiped away tears.

" _No._ This has to be a trick…"

"I promise you-"

" _Stop using his voice!"_ Hana rumbled, enraged. "Corrin taught me to trust in the good of others...but this _can't be real_!" She swung her katana, but the figure merely disintegrated before reforming in front of her.

"You must trust me, my daughter...my little cherry blossom."

Hana froze.

"F-father? Is that r-really you?" Her arms suddenly felt like jelly; her katana suddenly weighed a ton. She felt like a little girl again, waiting for her father to come home.

"In spirit, yes. But I am only able to control my actions to a degree...allow me to explain."

Hana could only nod meekly.

"When King Garon assassinated King Sumeragi and myself, we were unaware that he was merely an extension of Anankos. After our deaths, he...assimilated our spirits down here, and forced us to stay, and serve him. I suspect he has used his control over this world to separate your group, so that each is facing their own demons…"

"But you're helping me now, aren't you?"

"My spirit is my own. But my body is not. Anankos' attention is divided for now, so before he retakes control, let me warn you. Before you lies a maze. You must go through it alone. I will be waiting at the end; you will have to defeat me to reach Anankos."

"I-"

"Blue doors are safe." Her father disintegrated once more, and Hana noticed that the forest had become, in fact, a maze.

 _Just what is this place? And what is Anankos capable of?_

Two doors beckoned in front of her, one blue and one red. With a deep breath, she pushed the blue door open.

She exhaled deeply as she entered an empty corridor. She followed it until reaching another set of doors.

"..." She shook her head and pushed through the blue door once more.

* * *

Hana cursed the colors red and blue as yet another set of doors taunted her. She'd followed her father's (was it really him?) instructions and had taken the blue doors at every turn; though it seemed awfully simplistic, it seemed to have worked. She hadn't faced anything worse than a couple of Faceless in a room. With a sigh, she pushed through another azure door.

The now-familiar amethyst essence swirled around her and materialized once again.

"I'm glad you made it here, my cherry blossom." It drew its sword, and Hana gasped at the pin attached to the scabbard.

 _That's the same as-_ she gently fingered the pin on her own scabbard.

"You've come for me, haven't you?"

Hana closed her eyes, steeling herself for the fight to come.

"You told me yourself. I must defeat you, to set you free from Anankos' control." She drew her own katana, leveling it at the image.

"When I was brought here, and told of how I had left you...I was broken. I left you alone, with no one. Now, seeing the samurai you've become..I couldn't be prouder."

Hana blinked back a tear.  
"Father…I always wanted just one more day with you."

"But now you can have an eternity with me, my daughter! While you went through the maze, I spoke with Lord Anankos. If you surrender now, and join us...we can be together again! Forever…"

Hana closed her eyes and turned away. Every fiber of her being wanted to be with her father again.

 _But not like this. Father would never serve such a monster._

"No, Father. Anankos is evil! He is the reason Nohr and Hoshido became hostile again! I can't join him." She readied her blade, and her father's apparition sighed. She dashed forward, and the metallic clang of blades rang throughout the dungeon. Their blades flickered and parried, a whirling dance of death that threatened to claim either life at any moment, but the skill of each warrior fending off each and every slash and lunge. Hana's ears were soon ringing, but she fought on as her mind flashed back.

" _My daughter, what would you like to be when you grow up?"_

" _I wanna be a big samurai like you, Daddy!" The man chuckled._

Another resounding exchange, and Hana's guard was broken, her katana clattering through the air behind her. Her father stabbed at her and Hana shifted her weight backwards, just barely avoiding being run through. Hana scrabbled backwards on the cold cement to retrieve her weapon.

 _If I can make it, maybe I can surprise him…_ She heard her father grunt, but she was so close; she reached out her hand the last few inches…

And screamed out in pain. She drew back the hand she'd extended; her father had sliced her palm, and blood was spurting out, but he hadn't been close enough to land a deep blow. Her mind was screaming in pain as she pressed the palm against herself, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.

"I expected more from you, Hana. You lack _conviction_. You haven't grown, in all this time? "Her father's voice echoed true disappointment as he moved in for the final blow.

 _Conviction…._ Something clicked for Hana as she remembered a conversation she'd had with Corrin.

 _Then fight for what you believe in…_

Her mind flashed with an image of Hoshido, peaceful and prosperous once more. The image blurred, and changed to Sakura, smiling like she did when the two of them were children. Her final picture was a frame of her and Corrin, at the market, with Corrin spitting out something repulsive that she'd probably just made him try.

"I've never forgotten your lessons, Father. Through all these years...they've guided me to be the samurai I've become. But along the way, I learned more...now let me show you!" She managed to roll the rest of the distance to her katana and spring back to her feet. "Gah!" She grimaced as she instinctively gripped the hilt; her palm was in no shape to wield her katana with both hands.

"Ha! You can't even wield your own blade in this state; how you expect to defeat me now, I cannot fathom." Her father glided to engage with a wicked overhead strike.

Hana had no choice but to wield her blade with a single hand. Sparks flew as she parried the strike. She saw her father's eyes narrow as he continued to push against her resistance. She sloughed the strike off to the side and the force of her father's blow brought his blade crashing into the cold, hard floor, where it snapped in half. The apparition fell to its knees.

"No…"

"It's over, Father." Hana panted as she pointed her weapon into his neck.

"No…" The apparition and the walls of the room began to fade. Hana drew her sword back into a defensive position as she warily scanned around her.

"Is that her?" She immediately jumped to face the noise, katana ready.

"I think...it l-looks like her! Come on, she might n-need us!"

 _Wait...is that-_

" _Hana!_ Thank goodness you're alive!" Now a man's voice.

"Corrin…" She relaxed her blade and glanced at her palm, which was still bleeding. Now that her adrenaline was dying down, she began to feel light-headed. She faintly remembered Corrin's gentle hands picking her up bridal style before she blacked out.

* * *

 **I know I haven't updated this in forever, and I'm really very sorry for that. A couple months ago, I noticed a small lump on my right flank that wasn't going away, so I had an ultrasound done. Anyways, long story short, they couldn't determine whether it was benign or malignant from that, so I ended up having it taken out and having a biopsy done so that I would know for sure. Good news is, the lesion turned out to be benign! Bad news is, I was so worried and stressed about it and everything else in life (namely starting med school in a couple months) that I haven't been a functioning human being!**

 **So, in order to thank you all for your patience this chapter is a longer chapter. I decided to change the storyline a bit from Revelations, since I figure it's more fun and fan-fiction-y if the storyline isn't exactly the same :) I'm not sure if many of you have noticed, but I've taken to making many of the 1 on 1 duels to be much shorter; it's my opinion that long, drawn-out duels aren't as realistic, but I don't know that much about actual swordplay. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter, and now that I know the whole episode was nothing to worry about, and it's summer, and I'm not planning anything before school starts, I'll do my best to update this on a regular basis :) Although I'm only planning 2-3 more chapters.**

 **CyberchaoX: Hope you enjoy this turn of events! As I mentioned earlier, I didn't want to just follow the plot exactly, rather take cues and make it into my own. I also definitely agree with you that the Nohrians got much more in-depth and unique support conversations; unfortunately I liked the Hoshidan designs more...but at the same time, this gave me more freedom to mold Hana into my own character.**

 **All-seeing Hunter: xD I thought that'd be a funny way to describe how difficult Azura had it!**

 **Evilvale: Yay! Glad you paired them up too :) hope you're sticking along for the ride!**

 **Junior BLD: Glad you enjoyed it! Stick along as well :)**

 **Mega Sodarayg: Didn't watch BW, so I can't relate :( Glad you agreed with the filler chapter! I never like having them, but...sometimes you just have to.**

 **Guest 1: definitely agree with you on that; that's why I wanted to write a hoshido-based fanfic rather than a Nohr-based one!**

 **Huest: Um...I don't actually know. I haven't played any of the DLC...**

 **Guest 2: I can definitely see that! But since it's not the focus of my story, and it's already dragged a bit logner than I expected, I don't think I'll write that out. You could definitely do that though!**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Hope there wasn't anything nasty! I'm pretty much behind on everything in my life right now, so...I'll do my best to get to your story!**

 **As always, thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and please R &R! **

**And thank you all for your patience, it's been a pretty hectic 2017 for me so far..hopefully it calms down. 3**


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't want to hear it." Hana woke to Corrin's firm, steely voice.

"Big brother, we didn't know! How could we have known? We just wanted...we just wanted to be together again!" A young girl's voice sobbed.

"There were signs. You chose to ignore them."

"Yes, there were, Corrin. But we've been bound to the castle, to Nohr, our whole lives!"

"Leo, you're smarter than that. You spend so much time in books, learning. Don't give me that excuse."

"Corrin...little prince. We-"

"Don't. Don't you dare call me that again, Xander. I'm not your little prince anymore. I've lost comrades. Kagero and Saizo are _dead_. Camilla, _Beruka is dead._ Benny's dead. And they were killed fighting each other, when it all could have been avoided if you just _listened._ " Hana could hear the rage frothing in Corrin's voice; she wanted to reach out, to offer him a soothing touch, but she sensed that it would be better for her to continue feigning sleep during this debate.

"Corrin, dear…" A silky smooth voice interjected. "We understand...and I didn't mean it when I said Leo was my favorite brother, you know. I-"

"I don't _CARE_ who your favorite sibling is!" Corrin bellowed suddenly. "I don't care if you're sorry, I don't care what you say. Garon sent me to kill my birth mother, and you tried to explain that away. You called me a liar, a traitor. You tried to kill me, Camilla. You tried to kill my birth family. You kill my brother's retainers. And you think a simple sorry is going to be enough?"

An awkward silence settled between them. Hana decided to choose this moment to begin stirring.

"Is..is she okay?" Hana heard the younger girl's voice.

"Just get out." Footsteps told Hana that the Nohrians had left, and she finally opened her eyes. "Hey, beautiful," Corrin said with a weak smile. Hana felt herself blush.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to you calling me that."

"Oh, you will. Sorry if my outburst woke you up."

"No...well, maybe. Are you okay?" She reached up to stroke his face gently. "They are who you grew up with, after all."

"I know...but I don't know how to forgive them. To be honest, I don't know if I can."

"Well, they _are_ Nohrians." Hana's eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure we can ever even trust them. For all we know, right after this war they're going to attack us while we're still recovering." When Corrin didn't answer, Hana sighed.

"I know, I know. They're still the family you grew up with." Hana smiled, but it was laced with irony. "That's what makes you so special, you know. You believe in the good in everyone." She paused. "You know, we Hoshidans aren't _much_ better. We act like we are, but just look at me." She shook her head. "If I see a Nohrian, I want to fight them. And not just fight. _Kill_ , sometimes. Without a second thought. You're the only person I've met who really, truly wants to take care of everyone, not just your own side. Before you came, we never actively let our enemies live. We wouldn't kill a defenseless enemy, but...until you came, we also adhered to the kill or be killed mentality."

Corrin frowned as he mulled over her words before abruptly standing up to leave.

"You should get some rest. I'll come back around dinner time with some food." He turned without waiting for an answer.

Hana lay back against her pillow.

 _Well...that didn't go well. It's true, though…_

She shivered at how she had described herself. It scared her, sometimes, her hate for the Nohrians. She used to talk to Oboro about it; Oboro had her own problems, what with her history with Nohrians. Hana glared as she remembered what Oboro had told her. A late night ambush while on a family trip, and both of Oboro's parents were gone.

Suddenly, the tent flap pushed in. Hana grimaced as she sat up. She recognized the young girl who came in as one of Corrin's Nohrian "siblings", but she couldn't recall her name.

"Who're you?" she asked. "And who taught you manners," she muttered under her breath.

"Hi! I'm Elise!" The girl held out a hand, which Hana shook coldly. "I'm Corrin's younger sister! Well, I guess..technically, I'm not." Elise seemed to frown at this. "Anyways, sorry I didn't knock. I kind of hid outside because I wanted to come back in, but my big brother probably wouldn't let me, so I had to wait until he-"

"What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check on you! Corrin's really sad right now-"

"Don't you have any idea _why_? He's not sad because he has to fight; he's sad because none of you believed in him. None of you were willing to listen to him, even for a single second, and you all turned your back on him so quickly. Some family you are," Hana scoffed. Elise hung her head down, and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

 _She's even younger than Sakura,_ Hana noticed. Elise sniffed before shaking her head vigorously.

"No, I'm not going to cry. Everything you said was right. But none of my siblings want to take responsibility for it, and Corrin won't listen to us anyways."

"So why are you here?"

"I just wanted to check on you. I...I don't know how else to show Corrin that I'm sorry. So I decided that I'm going to take good care of his pretty girlfriend!"

"How do I know you're not plotting to distract me so your siblings can kill me?" Hana's eyes bore into Elise, who looked straight back.

"My siblings don't know I'm here. I'm doing this for Corrin. I know that it kills him to see us fighting together, but still hating each other, so maybe if we can be friends, everyone else can be, too"

 _If only it were that easy_ , Hana thought. But something about Elise's innocence told her that the girl wasn't lying.

"...Alright, then." Hana lay back and winced as she banged her bandaged sword hand on the bedrail.

"Here, let me take a look!" Elise pulled out her stave and quickly waved it over Hana's hand, which helped ease the pain somewhat.

"Thanks," Hana said.

"No problem! I'm the best healer in Nohr, you know!" Elise grinned widely, and Hana finally gave in and smiled ever so slightly, which seemed to encourage the girl even more. "Wow, you really _are_ pretty! Even more when you smile, just like Corrin said! Anyways, you just let me know if you need anything."

"Hm...actually, I _am_ a bit hungry…"

In a rush, Elise was out the door.

* * *

Corrin carefully spooned a ladle of porridge into a bowl, leaving some room for shredded pork and some other toppings. Just as he reached for the pork, a hand tapped his shoulder, nearly causing him to drop the bowl of porridge. He glowered when he realized who it was.

"What do you want, Camilla," he hissed. She seemed to recoil a little from his reaction.

"Ah. I was just wondering if you'd seen Elise? After our...chat with you, she disappeared and no one's seen her since." Her face was covered in worry.

"I'll keep an eye out; if she hasn't shown up by the time Hana's fallen asleep I'll go look for her."

"Thanks, dear brother." She tried to hug him, but he deftly ducked under her arms. He could hear Hinoka sniggering behind him in the meal line.

Corrin made his way to Hana's tent and carefully rapped the closed flap.

"Hey, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Yes, but be quiet," Hana whispered.

 _Huh?_ Corrin thought before walking in, and he couldn't believe what he saw.

Elise had fallen asleep on the chair next to Hana's cot, and her face was plopped on Hana's stomach. Hana was putting floral clips into Elise's hair as the girl slept.

"Huh. Well, that explains why Elise was gone all day." He pulled another chair over. "I brought some dinner. How's your hand feeling?"

"It's a lot better! I noticed that Nohr uses different magic for healing; Sakura happened to come over and the two of them together were able to pretty much completely heal my hand."

"Really? That quickly? It was cut to the tendon if I remember what Sakura told me."

"Yeah, right? Pretty crazy how much healing they could do as a team. Now I just want to get back out there and hit some training dummies...Elise didn't like that. She said I had to rest, but when I said I felt fine she said she was just going to fall asleep on my lap so I couldn't move."

Corrin grinned.

"How very like her. But she is my sister, and I guarantee you she's faking it right now."

"Hey!" Elise sat up indignantly. "You weren't supposed to tell her that!"

Corrin sniggered, and Elise pouted.

"I'm going to tell Hana all of your embarrassing stories," she threatened. Hana sat up.

"Ooh, do tell."

"Please, I don't have any embarrassing stories. I grew up in a tower with three butlers and I never got out."

"How about that time you walked into the women's bath?"

"I- _what?_ How do you know about that," Corrin asked, while Hana burst out laughing.

"Or how about that time you accidentally grabbed Camilla's-"

"Oookay, I think it's past your bedtime, Elise."

"Grabbed Camilla's what?"

"Nothing, I was just grabbing some stuff she left at the tower when she visited. Isn't that _right_ , Elise?"

"No! He was like really young, and we were at the beach, and he just reached up and-"

"How do you even _know_ this stuff? Were you even born yet? Never mind, speaking of Camilla, she's been looking for you all day. Don't you think you should go find her?"

"Hey!" Corrin forcefully pushed Elise out of the tent despite her protests and grinned sheepishly back at Hana once she was gone.

Hana grinned.

"I'll be sure to ask Elise for more stories when we have time."

Corrin sighed.

"Well...if we win tomorrow, we'll have plenty of time to do whatever we want."

* * *

"Hiiyah!" Hana swung at the dummy ferociously. "Yah!" Her grunts and the hollow thunk of her strikes echoed through camp as the sun began to rise.

 _One last battle_ , she thought. _Just one more._

* * *

 **Phew, sorry once again for the long delay. Moving into medical school was quite tiring, and the 110 degree weather sure didn't help (those of you who live in Phoenix, I've been in Glendale for like 3 weeks, and I'm dying of heat. How do you stand this?). What with school starting and all, I've barely had any time to write!**

 **Anyways, I'd like to thank Temporal King for this chapter; if TK hadn't noticed some things, I'd probably have just skipped this chapter and gone straight to** **the final battle. So this chapter is kind of a filler, just to address that yes, indeed, the deaths of some comrades are taking a toll (especially on Corrin) and that he's finding it really hard to forgive his family. Although everyone's working together, it's a begrudging alliance; it's not like everyone's happy about it. However, I also find that it takes someone like Elise to break the ice in these kinds of situations, so hopefully that makes sense to you all as readers why I chose her (she's also just freaking adorable, which helps. You can't hate someone like Elise!)**

 **CyberchaoX: well, I don't want to inundate readers with words; nowadays, we might just want to sit down for 5 minutes and be able to read a chapter, so I try to keep it shorter; I'd rather have more chapters with less content per chapter. Glad you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure how I wanted to write that out, so I kind of just did it as I went along.**

 **Mega sodarayg: Glad you liked it! Yeah, I wanted to do one for Corrin as well, but...as you said, it's a lot of words. With how Nintendo decided to just throw in a bunch of characters without really developing them in this game, I had to just decide to focus on my main characters, otherwise every single side character is another blank slate that I have to fill in.**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Thank you! It was a really stressful time in my life, but I think it's going to help me become a better doctor after I get out of med school, since I know what it's like to be facing the possibility of those kinds of illnesses. I'm sorry about your cat :( pets really are a gift to us all. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was supposed to be to kind of wrap up Hana's development so that I could focus on just writing out the final battle in the next chapter.**

 **As always, please R &R, and enjoy! I'll try to get the final battle out ASAP, but I have histology and embryology to study for...and then biochemistry, and anatomy, and into to clinical medicine, and labs. **

**(help me)**

 **-elementaryprincess**


	16. Chapter 16

The battle wasn't going well. Anankos was cackling madly as they hacked away at his stone face with their weapons. Retainers had been forced to retreat as they fought their way in, and only the royal families, Hana, Azura, Kaze, Selena, and Charlotte were still fighting. Some retainers lay dead in the room before; some injured and unable to battle further.

Hana was scared to find out which of her friends were still surviving.

"We're not even tickling him," Hana growled, frustrated. She raced forward and slashed again, to the same effect: namely, none.

"Enough!" Anankos' voice seemed to emanate from the very walls of the room. The grotesque mask reared back and shot forth a wave of pure energy which knocked the combatants over.

"Argh!" Hana felt as if she'd been run into by a charging horse; the wind was instantly knocked out of her.

"Pitiful creatures. How could you ever hope to defeat a dragon?"

Corrin got up shakily.

"I don't know, but I know we'll do it together!" He turned. "Come on. You're all my family; lets take this beast down together."

Ryoma struggled to his feet, using his Raijinto as a crutch before gingerly adopting his battle stance. Xander did the same, and energized, the rest of the Nohrians and Hoshidans followed their leaders. Hana stood directly in front of Corrin.

"I'll give my life if I have to."

Ryoma nodded to Xander, and they stepped forward, shielding Corrin.

"We will stand with you. Til the end."

Corrin bowed his head.

"Thank you. All of you."

Anankos reared once more, and Hana braced herself and closed her eyes and waited for the final blow.

But it never came.

She opened her eyes and her mouth dropped open. Corrin's Yato had levitated above him, as had Ryoma's Raijinto, Takumi's Fujin Yumi, Xander's Siegfried, and Leo's Brynhildr. Beams of light extended from each weapon to the Yato, and when they made contact with the Yato, turned red. In turn, the 4 hollow obs near the Yato's hilt glowed with red energy. Each weapon then descended back to their owner's hands, emanating untold power.

"This...this must be the power locked within the Seal of Flames!" Xander gasped.

"The what?"

"No time to explain; the Rainbow Sage told me of it when he blessed me with his power. We should be able to hurt him now!" Xander rushed forward and slashed at Anankos, scoring a searing, scorching mark on the mask that the dragon wore.

"GRAHHHH!" The dragon flinched, and Xander allowed himself a small smile.

"Come!"

The dragon was too big to dodge any of the strikes, and the mask was soon slashed beyond recognition and threatening to fall off, revealing the true face of the monster. Hana and the other retainers used their unempowered weapons to deepen the burning scars left by the four royals. The walls reverberated with Anankos' screeches as they slowly whittled away the mask.

"NO!" Anankos suddenly fired out another wave of energy, knocking everyone back once more. "Grah..GARON!"

A shimmer of purple light, and the Nohrian king materialized.

"F-father?!" The Nohrian royals managed to ask The king ignored them and turned to kneel towards Anankos.

"Lord Anankos, as you have requested. Is it time now to proceed to-"

The giant mask came off, to be replaced by a dark brown dragon. The dragon seemed to be made of rock, and didn't have eyes. Inside of its mouth was a dark blue ball which had two large, pulsating eyes in it. The eyes jumped in random directions madly, not seeming to focus on any one spot. With a roar, the thing snapped forward and devoured the Nohrian king.

Hana quickly shielded Elise's eyes.

"FATHER!" The Nohrians were in shock, and Anankos cackled madly.

"I'd forgotten how much power I'd given that fool...did you know, he's been my puppet since he agreed to kill Sumeragi for a share of my power? What a fool…" The dragon slowly emerged from the tunnel that had been hidden behind the mask.

Hana could only gasp at the sheer size of it. It was about the size of one of the buildings at her old dojo, which stood about 3 stories high.

"How….how do we even fight this thing?" She muttered to Corrin, who shook his head.

"We have to find a weakness," he replied curtly. She admonished herself as she remembered the stakes.

Hana turned her attention back to the dragon. Ryoma and Xander were shooting bolts of magic from their swords, but the dragon's skin absorbed each arc of lightning and pulse of dark energy. Hinoka and Camilla had flown above and were hacking away, but their weapons seemed to be useless as well. Leo and Takumi stood from range, raining down more artillery on the dragon, but also to no effect. Sakura and Elise hovered, each covering a side, ready to heal when needed. Kaze's shurikens were bouncing harmlessly off the dragon, and Charlotte's axe was barely making a dent. Hana joined Selena in hacking at the underbelly, carefully avoiding its stamping feet.

Anankos continued cackling.

"You humans never learn! I will slay you all here, and then go aboveground...and slay all in your kingdoms!" He stamped again and Selena lost her footing, slipping.

Hana gasped as she saw Anankos' other foot.

Right above Selena.

Closing her eyes, Hana dashed towards the retainer in a slide, hoping as she slid that she had been quick enough. Hana heard a terrible scream right next to her ear and feared the worst. She opened her eyes to see that Selena's leg hadn't been fast enough and was crushed.

"Selena...I-I'm sorry…"

"For what? Saving my life? Now get me out of here!"

"Right." She quickly picked up the girl with a grunt and ran towards Sakura. She dropped Selena carefully on the floor and turned to rejoin the fight.

"Hey, um...thanks." Selena had tapped her before she left but refused to make eye contact.

"No time for you to get emotional, Selena, we've got a dragon to kill!"

Hana saw a bolt of energy hit Kaze square in the chest, knocking him back into a wall and knocking him out. A wide rake of his front claws bowled Charlotte over, and she wasn't moving when the dust settled.

Leo and Takumi continued to fire from their perch, and the dragon began to turn its attention to them.

"Leo! Takumi! Look out!" Ryoma yelled, but it was too late. The dragon's mouth opened and Hana saw yet another orb fire out. Takumi was frozen, unable to dodge.

"Takumi!" Leo yelled out as he shot out a bolt of his own. It deflected Anankos' bolt downwards, but was unable to disintegrate it. The ground disappeared before Takumi, who had a split second to nod to Leo before he fell off the perch.

"Lord...Lord Takumi…" Hana gasped as his body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"BROTHER!" Ryoma's yell was distraught, and full of pain. It was a sound she hoped she would never hear again.

Everything became a blur as she processed what had just happened. She knew she had to focus on continuing the fight, but…

Takumi's gone. That fact left a sour taste in her mouth.

 _Wait…_

She noticed once again the ball inside the dragon's mouth, the one with the blinking eyes.

 _Takumi...we will avenge you._

"Corrin! The mouth," She yelled. "I think that's it!" She couldn't see him, but she heard him call out to everyone else.

"Everyone! Focus the ball in the dragon's mouth!"

Hana rushed towards it, sword drawn. She ducked as claws raked the air above her, then jumped as the opposite claw went after her feet.

The dragon roared in frustration.

"You...I will squash you all like the pests you are!"

"Hana!"

"Corrin!" She managed to pant. "I think the mouth is the key. That orb inside it...with the eyes. I think that's what we need to hit."

"Yeah, I hope you're right. Ryoma and Xander and Leo are shooting for it already. I don't know how we're going to get up there, though…"

Hana saw tears in Corrin's eyes, which he wiped away when they heard wingbeats behind them.

"Need a lift?" Hinoka and Camilla descended next to them.

Corrin climbed onto Hinoka's pegasus while Hana carefully clambered onto Camilla's wyvern, noting with glee Camilla's pout.

A bolt of electricity whizzed by them, and Hana watched as it hit one of the eyes. The dragon screeched nastily and recoiled, and Ryoma, who had fired the bolt, allowed himself a grim smile.

"Good call, Hana. Now let's focus on that orb!"

Camilla spurred her wyvern, which quickly flew up. Hana felt her stomach turning

 _Oh gods, I hate flying_. They tried to get close enough, but the dragon was snapping so frequently that it was difficult to get in range.

"Gah! We're useless up here…" Hana yelled. Her eyes scanned for an opening, but couldn't find one.

"Whoa!" Camilla yelled out. Anankos had swiped up towards them and Hana's eyes widened as the claw raced towards them. Camilla tried to pull her wyvern up, but it was too late. Hana felt herself being thrown backwards.

 _Oh gods, I'm so dead._

She braced for impact, but it came far sooner than she expected. She opened her eyes and realized she'd landed on the great dragon's back, instead of falling all the way to the floor.

Camilla hadn't been so lucky. She lay crumpled in a motionless heap on the floor, her wyvern a few paces from her.

"No…", Hana mumbled, feeling her body go numb.

 _How can this be happening?_

A force of shimmering enemies interrupted her shock. She noticed a purple reservoir of energy behind them.

Interesting...

Hana charged forward, blade whirling. She found herself surrounded by five of the enemies who circled her. She knew that they could only send one at a time for fear of striking each other, especially with two lance users.

Bring it on.

A lance user stepped forward, and she quickly sliced through its lance handle, leaving it holding a wooden stick before she ran it through. She felt the air from a wicked axe blow just miss her back, and quickly turned with her blade extended. It cut through the axe wielder and the other lancer, leaving just two enemies. They charged in towards her, but she dashed forwards at well and easily ducked a wicked cleave, which ended up slicing through the other enemy. She reengaged on the one left, and in a combination of slashes, there were five piles of purple dust.

More enemies approached her. She used their positioning to predict the locations of their strikes and deftly dodged each one. She leapt forward and slashed back, but her blows were also parried. She felt a quick kick to her stomach which knocked her back and left her gasping for breath. She scrambled to her feet as the enemies advanced, just barely parrying a strike which would have decapitated her. She could feel her arm vibrating from the shock of the blow. Now both advanced towards her, axes raised for a killing blow.

This is bad. They swung down, and Hana leapt backwards, just barely out of range, but she lost balance. She rolled to avoid the next blows, but she knew she couldn't keep up for long. She scrabbled to regain her footing, but another kick to the face left her dazed and bloodied. Her vision blurred from the blow, but she saw what looked like a pegasus swoop in and ram into the two figures before circling and landing next to her.

"Hinoka...thank you."

"C'mon, let's get out of here!"

The orb floated out of the dragon's mouth, and the dragon's body went limp.

"Yes!" Corrin yelled. He pointed towards the orb, and Hana followed in the direction. When they disembarked, they found Ryoma and Xander standing in front of the orb.

"How did you manage that?"

"Long story. I hope this ends it…"

"NO!" Anankos yelled. His voice seemed weakened, both in volume and power; it was almost a whimper.

Corrin raised the Yato over his head and stabbed through the orb, right through the remaining eye. A terrifying wail echoed in the hall as the ball rose into the air, shaking uncontrollably.

"No...no….NOOOO!" It yelled before it fell to the ground. Corrin reached over to pull the Yato out from it.

"It's over," Corrin whispered. Hana glanced around. Charlotte and Kaze were still on the floor, unmoved. She feared the worst. Xander and Ryoma were covered in grime, sweat, and blood; whose blood it was unclear. Hinoka and Sakura flew over to where Takumi had been, just minutes earlier, and collapsed, sobbing. Elise ran to Camilla's corpse and did the same. Leo stood rooted, still in shock.

 _It's...it's over. But at what cost…_

She felt her knees wobble, and give out. She sought out Corrin, and she found him. Her eyes met his, and he nodded, sprinting towards her. He picked her up in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. She felt his tears splashing into her hair, and could only grip him ever more tightly.

 _It's over…_

* * *

 **First off, I'm sorry I had to kill off two royals. But I think the price of war is real, and it just is not realistic at all that every major character is going to make it out alive. Yes, Kaze and Charlotte are dead, and the losses will mount once everyone takes stock of who's left after the battle. I cut it off here since it was getting a bit long, but at the same time I didn't want to sell short the final battle. I had to do some mental gymnastics to figure out how I wanted the fight to go, and I ended up borrowing a bit the idea from Awakening, where there's a central source of power for the dragon. I hope you all enjoyed it/didn't object too much to it!**

 **Guest: True, she does. But Hana can be pretty snarky, especially towards a Nohrian, so I think that it's pretty in character for her. At that stage they're forced to work together by the ambush, so there's no love lost there. Anyways, she makes up for it here.**

 **Slink: Hm, I actually think that he could be a total jerk to them. It's an incredible amount of pain when your own family turns its back on you just like that, and I don't think he would have forgiven them for that. Also spending time with Hana probably made him a bit more snarky, as well, but in the end, Corrin's still too pure and he'll likely get over it.**

 **Temporal King: I didn't really want to make it _too_ harsh; Corrin's biggest flaw is that he's too forgiving and too trusting, so I wanted to put Corrin somewhere in the middle; he _doesn't_ want to forgive his siblings, especially this quickly, but it's in his nature to. Also, Corrin isn't really the type to say "I told you so", at least in my eyes. You'll see the answer to your question in the next chapter! **

**Mega Sodarayg: HAHA well played! Yeah...I'm just holed up in my room with the air conditioning on all the time it's terrible. I'm doing my rotations in San Diego though, so that'll be nice!**

 **Gallian Squad 7: Yeah, I didn't want to focus too much on it since this story is still mainly about Hana, not Corrin, actually. And yes, Elise really is just too cute. Originally she was supposed to be the Nohrian sibling who died, but...I couldn't bring myself to do it. Good luck to you too! I have my first exam this coming Monday. :(**

 **As always, please R &R, and enjoy! **


	17. Chapter 17

There was no celebration when the warriors returned. So many of the best retainers, and two royals had been lost. As an effort to jumpstart the peace between the two kingdoms, memorial services for the fallen were held jointly. Xander and Ryoma were sworn in as rulers of Nohr and Hoshido, and at the services, pledged to work together to rebuild the kingdoms to their former glory. As a permanent reminder of the price of peace, an effigy of Takumi and Camilla was commissioned, one each for the central squares of Nohr and Hoshido.

Hana watched as the coffins were lowered into the ground. She blinked back tears at the memories of that final battle, and buried her head into Corrin. Corrin gently patted her hair and gave her a firm squeeze, but she felt his body heaving with sobs as well.

She remembered Takumi's last moment, as he acknowledged Leo's attempt to save him before falling, and the tears ran freely when she remembered the dead retainers: Hinata, Kaze, Azama, Kagero, Saizo..all gone.

She bristled as she remembered that it all started with Nohr's inability to accept that King Garon had been evil, but then she remembered the price the Nohrians had paid. She saw Selena on crutches, her leg heavily wrapped and immobilized. She shuddered as she remembered the sickening crunch of Charlotte's body breaking as Anankos' claws raked through her, and she almost threw up remembering the sight of Camilla's mangled body, and how close she was to joining her. Nohrian retainers whom she did not recognize were dead as well; there was the archer with the eyepatch, the wyvern rider and knight who had been slain with Kagero and Saizo, and the cavalier with blue and pink hair.

They have paid the ultimate price as well...and we cannot expect them to work with us if we do not do the same.

She sighed begrudgingly. She would have to treat Nohrians the way she initially treated Corrin; trusting, but with a watchful eye.

She brought her head out and gave Corrin a weak smile. At least things had worked out rather well that time.

Corrin decided to give up the title of prince, although everyone still referred to him as such, and he and Hana set out to mend the wounds of war in both Nohr and Hoshido. They assisted with rebuilding the parts of Hoshido that had been destroyed, and traveled to Nohr to assist with the revitalization of its neglected communities. After a time, the foundations of two peaceful, allied kingdoms were set. Ryoma and Xander had made good on their promises to maintain peace and to aid each other, and despite occasional flare-ups, a sense of tranquility eventually pervaded the continent.

(line break)

One year after the war's conclusion, Hana and Corrin found themselves at Cheve, on the way back to Hoshido. They had just finished cleaning up some of the slums and forgotten parts of Nohr, preparing them to be outfitted with new infrastructure. Leaving Nohr, Camilla popped into Corrin's thoughts, as she had sporadically since that day.

Corrin remembered Camilla's conviction in the very city, and how she had been ready to kill him during that battle. But then he remembered how he'd given her a cold shoulder during her final days.

When she died...I still hadn't forgiven her. I got on Hinoka's pegasus to spite her...even in the heat of battle. I wish...I wish I could just tell her, one more time, how much I love her. How much I appreciated how she pampered me, even though she knew I wasn't really her brother.

I'm glad I won't make that mistake with Elise, Leo and Xander. Time heals...I just wish I had more of it with Camilla.

Hana gently tugged Corrin's arm.

"You okay?" Her eyes were full of concern.

"Yeah, just…"

"You're still thinking about Camilla, aren't you."

"How did you know?"

"I can see it in your eyes, Corrin. You never got to tell her you forgave her." Hana looked away. "I'm sorry. Maybe...if I'd just paid more attention, I could have warned her sooner…"

"No, it's not your fault, Hana. There was nothing else you could have done. And...as terrible as it sounds, if it wasn't for the pain I felt losing her, I don't know how long it would have taken for me to forgive them. But...life is short, and we don't know if we'll be here tomorrow. I don't want to hold grudges, especially now that we're in a time of peace. I...I know Camilla wouldn't want me to."

"That's it, though, right? We always wonder what else we could have done. I know you are, too, and that's why it's tearing you apart. But that's what's so cruel about war. What if the last time Takumi talked to his retainers, they were arguing about something? What if Saizo and Kagero never restarted their relationship before they died together?" Hana shook her head. "War is cruel. It takes away people, but more than that, it takes away parts of our lives, leaves us with regrets that we'll never be able to address. It's not just the battles themselves that scar us." Hana sighed. "I'm sorry, Corrin. I wish I knew how to comfort you."

Corrin shook his head.

"No, I agree with you. All I can do now is honor her memory - and those of everyone we lost - by working my hardest to maintain peace. So that when friends, families, couples get into arguments, they'll always have a chance to make amends."

They walked on in silence, contemplating what they had just discussed.

"Speaking of when couples argue, remember when you thought it would be a good idea to take me to my Father's memorial?"

Corrin groaned.

"You aren't going to let me forget that, are you? And anyways, we weren't a couple back then."

"Well, we could have been, if you'd just asked me out, insetad of taking me to the place where my father died, but it made for a pretty nice boat ride afterwards." She smiled at the memory. "I mean...what made you think it was a good idea?" Hana snickered.

"I don't know! I thought you were cute and I liked you, and Sakura was egging me on, so I felt like I had to do something."

Hana blushed.

"Did you really think I was cute, even back then? Or are you just saying that now?" Hana pouted.

"Of course I did! I mean, you weren't cute when you were accusing me of being a spy, but otherwise I did. Nah, actually, even when you were accusing me, I still thought you were adorable."

"Hmph. " Hana stuck her hands on her hips in mock anger before bursting out giggling. "Oh, I'm just kidding. I can't stay mad at you, you know." She nuzzled against him before having a thought. "Come on, there's someone I want you to talk to." She grabbed his arm and led him on a brisk run, ending at her father's memorial.

She kneeled and bowed her head.

"Father...I have someone I want you to meet. This is Corrin, and he's been taking care of me throughout this war...without him I'd probably have been slain by now." She motioned for Corrin to join her. He copied her position.

"Um...am I supposed to say something?" He whispered.

"You don't have to," Hana whispered back. "I just wanted to officially introduce you."

"Right." He cleared his throat. "Um...Hana's Father. I...uh, just want you to know that I promise that Hana and I will continue to look after each other, no matter what happens. Um...yeah," he finished lamely. He could hear Hana shaking with laughter next to him.

"I'm not good at these things, okay? I grew up in a tower, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say and all that."

"It's fine, Corrin. You tried, and that's what matters. It's getting dark, anyways. We're going to have to spend the night here."

Corrin sighed.

"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention to time back at the market. There were so many interesting things! Maybe we can go back tomorrow?"

Hana snickered.

"So many interesting things. I'm still surprised you didn't know what women's smallclothes looked like. I mean, what else could those things have been? Weren't Flora and Felicia always around? I'd think you'd have some idea! Imagine if I hadn't noticed and pulled you out of that shop," Hana said, sticking out her tongue.

"...don't you have training to do?"

"Hmm…" Hana stroked her chin. "Maybe," she said with a wink. She sidled up to him and tiptoed, putting her mouth next to his ear. "I was thinking we practice something other than swordplay tonight," she whispered, grinning as Corrin shivered, before she lightly kissed his neck. "Kind of like that."

"Er...yeah," Corrin mumbled, red as a tomato. Hana grinned at how easily she was able to tease him as she led him by the hand into the city.

(line break)

Hana lay awake, unable to keep the smile off her face. The gentle rise and fall of Corrin's chest told her that he was sound asleep, one arm over her waist and extending to hold her hand. She watched as he slept on, without a care in the world.

Who would have guessed that I'd be here today, cuddling with the man of my dreams? Who would have guessed that that man would have grown up a Nohrian, too? Then again, who would have thought we would reach a time of peace with Nohr in our own lifetime? She shook her head at the unlikeliness of it all.

"Hm..?" Corrin stirred slightly. "Something wrong, love?" He made to sit up, but Hana gently pushed him back down and pulled his arm back around her, curling up against him.

"Nothing at all, dear. Nothing at all," she said as she closed her eyes, content with how unexpectedly true those words were at that very moment.

* * *

 **And that's the end! I hope you all enjoyed the journey, even though there were a couple (long) breaks included. Although I'd count this as a happy ending, it wasn't as bright and cheerful as I expected, but I'm actually happier it turned out this way. I think it's a lot more realistic and believable, in that even though the war was won, there's scars that will never heal as a result of it. Ultimately, that's often the price we pay, whether it's something big or small. Everything we do has a price, and the question is whether or not the goal was worth it or not.**

 **I'm really happy I had the chance to develop Hana's character; she surprised me, especially towards the end, with how much she changed throughout the story. I often had plans for each chapter that were thrown awry by how Hana reacted differently to the scenarios than I had initially expected, and it made me happy to see that her character could handle more. However, it also makes me sad that so many potentially great characters were turned into one-dimensional standard tropes.**

 **The story also ended up focusing more on Corrin than I had wanted; that being said, I think it was a great way to explore just how unrealistic the storylines of the games were. I had originally wanted more writing space devoted to Hana, but having a secondary character to develop was quite fun as well.**

 **I received a PM about how Camilla died without a chance for Corrin to tell her that he forgave her. Yes, I'm really sad that I had to write that in. But I think it drives home the cost of war, and really just how unpredictable life is. We never know what could happen, and so I hope Corrin and Hana's small discussion about it gives at least some closure (if Camilla's your favorite character, then...sorry.)**

 **I'd like to take this space to thank everyone who reviewed or sent me a PM, especially those who stayed even after my hiatus. You guys really are the fuel in my tank, and without that I'd be running on empty. I'm not quite sure what my next project will be, but if any of you readers have ideas or want to see something specific feel free to PM me with prompts or requests!**

 **Hopefully I'll find my next project soon :)**


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